Black Fortress
Black Fortress
4.5
Historic SitesPoints of Interest & LandmarksCastlesMilitary Bases & Facilities
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience Black Fortress and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles51 reviews
Excellent
26
Very good
15
Average
8
Poor
1
Terrible
1

Dirk W
Alexandra Headland, Australia10,124 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Solo
Nearly 200 years old, the fortress played an important strategic role in the ongoing conflicts between Russia and the Ottomans - note how close it is to the Turkish border. Even today there is a Russian Military base adjacent to the fortress.
Build as a circular structure in black stone, it make for interesting photos from the outside ; some noteworthy details such as bullet holes.
It is now in private ownership and completely renovated inside to serve as a function center or concert hall. Hardly a tourist attraction . . .
Written November 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dragonflyazul
Eatontown, NJ123 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
We walked around the outside. You could see the bullet holes and marks in the outside of the fortress. lovely panoramic view of the city. with amazing views of Gyumri. you get a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside and of the town of Gyumri. . It has a wonderful round view. It is made of black tuff (local volcanic stone). It has now been totally refurbished. It is used as a concert hall. There is an enormous stage in the middle, The statue of Mother Armenia is very near.
Written August 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PatrickM_Travels
Almaty, Kazakhstan1,788 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2015 • Friends
The Black Fortress, known locally as Sev Berd, is a Russian imperial fortress built during the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829. Today it is still occupied by the Russian military. We approached the front gate and asked if we could enter the fortress -- we were told it is not open to tourists. A shame, because this could be a really cool tourist attraction. I hope one day Armenia truly realizes the cultural value of its historic buildings and develops this, as well as many other sites, into a place where people can learn and enjoy the history.
Written September 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jerkoh
Coimbra, Portugal71 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019 • Friends
A very impressive fortress , very unic and interesting architecture .lovely panoramic view to the city. Will be a hotel ,now still in construction.
Written October 15, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

EleEdo
Sydney, Australia16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Family
We luckily got there on a taxi who knew the gaurds and they opened the place for us to see (not sure if has to be pre-booked generally)... It was originally built in 1840 so not very old but recently renovated privately to become a luxurious ancient function centre with a large circular stage in the middle and balconies upstairs. There was also rooms upstairs being finished to become hotel rooms in the future.

We got to see the 30 meter well in the basement, which was very interesting for the kids as well as the rooftop with views of Gyumri city.

Admission was free but you can pay for a guide for a detailed tour.
Written July 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Macoona
400 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2016 • Couples
Looks great but would be much better if there is somewhere information about the history, construction, etc.
Written December 8, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christian H
34 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018 • Friends
Awesome historic fort with amazing views of Gyumri. A lot of history in this place although it is now used for performing arts still I recommend you visit when in Gyumri
Written August 20, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

and0mand0
Copenhagen, Denmark49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2018 • Family
The Fortress was established in the middle of 19 cent by russians. It has a wonderfull round view. If you ask kindly, then the personal will open the gates and you can see it from inside. If you take the new train from Yerevan arriving at 12:15, then you can se one of the townmuseums, the Black Fortress have an early dinner at Cherkezi Dzor restaurant and take the return train at 16:45.
Written May 19, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

astrikt
Sabadell45 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2017 • Friends
The Black Fortress (Sev Amrots) is a little far from the centre of Gyumri, so you can hop on number 26 Marshutka (bus) for 100 AMD, especially if you go in summer, as it's extremely hot.
The building is amazing. Quite sombre from the outside, as it is made of black tuff (local volcanic stone). Yet as soon as you go through the door, it's extremely beautiful and bright. It was used by the Russian military for many years but has now been totally refurbished. It is used as a concert hall. There is an enormous stage in the middle, some stairs go down to a 25-metre deep well that is very impressive + numerous pictures explaining the history of the building. On the first floor, all around the building, they are building elegant rooms with bathrooms, so it looks as it will be used as a hotel.
As it is located quite high up, you get a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside and of the town of Gyumri. The statue of Mother Armenia is very near. We didn’t walk down to see it nearer as it was extremely hot, but were able to make some pretty good pictures.
Most definitely worth visiting
Written August 13, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JGDynamo
Canada2,082 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Friends
The Black Fortress in Gyumri is an ancient fortress that is still in use today by the Russian military. It is a beautiful piece of architecture but is not open for public viewing so do a quick walk, take a picture and carry on. It is close to the Mother Armenia monument so you can get two birds stoned at once up on the hill haha.
Written July 21, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 17
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

BLACK FORTRESS - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

All things to do in Gyumri
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars