Vernissage

Vernissage is where Yerevan sells its crafts, not its groceries. The market runs 350 meters along Aram and Buzand streets, between Hanrapetutyun and Khanjyan, and the name comes from the French word for a gallery opening — a fitting borrow, since carpets, hand-made clothing, souvenirs and paintings make up most of what's on the tables.

It's open every day, 09:00 to 18:00. That's worth knowing if you assumed a market this size only ran on weekends.

What you find changes stall to stall. Textiles here, paintings there, souvenir stands mixed in with pieces clearly made by hand rather than stamped out for tourists. The stretch between the two cross streets is short enough to walk end to end in a few minutes, though most people don't — there's too much to stop and look at along the way.

Vernissage runs through central Yerevan, along Aram and Buzand streets between Hanrapetutyun and Khanjyan streets — it's part of the city center itself rather than a separate destination to reach.