The Kasagh River has carved a deep gorge through the volcanic tufa rock on which Ashtarak is built, and the town's old quarter sits right at the lip of the drop. Walking along the gorge edge takes you past several of the town's old churches, some of them teetering over the cliff, and gives a constant backdrop of the rocky canyon below.
In spring and early summer the gorge sides are bright with wildflowers and the apricot orchards on the slopes are spectacular in blossom. The gorge walk can be extended north toward the villages of Mughni and Ohanavan, where the scenery becomes more dramatic and the views of Mount Aragats open up. The volcanic landscape throughout — black tufa, dusty paths, sudden cliff edges — is unlike anything in western Armenia.