Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Thai-Chinese makes up Bangkok’s largest diaspora.
Nai Ek Roll Noodle
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
6 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
7 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
8 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
9 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Armenia Tatev Wings of Tatev

Wings of Tatev

The world's longest nonstop reversible cable car soars through spectacular scenery to the medieval Tatev Monastery.

Tatev, Armenia

Added By
Daja
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Wings of Tatev cable car.   David Stanley/cc by 2.0
Wings of Tatev cable car.   David Stanley/cc by 2.0
Wings of Tatev cable car.   Armineaghayan/cc by-sa 3.0
The Tatev Monastery.   Diego Delso/cc by-sa 4.0
The view from the Wings of Tatev.   Ashot Arzumanyan/cc by-sa 3.0
Cable car over the stunning gorge.   AnDavtyan/cc by-sa 4.0
Cable car over the stunning gorge.   Daja / Atlas Obscura User
  gingercinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
  gingercinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The wonderfully named Wings of Tatev stretches over 3.5 miles between the Armenian village of Halidzor and the famous Tatev Monastery, a center of education and religion in the Middle Ages. The aerial tram holds the Guinness title as the longest nonstop double-track cable car in the world, but that's not even the most extraordinary thing about this piece of infrastructure.

The cableway soars over the deep Vorotan River Gorge, offering breathtaking views of the landscape as you approach the monastery, which sits perched on a large plateau at the edge of a cliff over the stunning gorge. The monastery complex dates back to the 9th century and is an architectural and historical icon of Armenia, though the structure itself can be overshadowed by the out-of-a-fairytale natural landscape that surrounds it.

The total ride from one side of the cable car to the other is about 12 minutes. Large pillars divide the ropeway into four sections, the longest of which is 1.6 miles long and overlooks the monastery. On top of its record-breaking length, it is also one of the highest reversible cable cars in the world, reaching an elevation of more than 1,000 feet at its highest point. 

Related Tags

Infrastructure Transportation Monasteries Landscapes Panoramas Medieval

Know Before You Go

The village of Tatev is reached via a serpentine macadam road, but the cable car is the best and easiest route to the monastery. The line runs between the Tatev station (at the map coordinates above) and the tramway station in Halidzor, also off of H45. Each cabin can accommodate 30 passengers and one attendant. 

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Daja

Edited By

Martin, Meg, gingercinnamon

  • Martin
  • Meg
  • gingercinnamon

Published

October 10, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-non-stop-double-track-cable-car/
Wings of Tatev
H45
Tatev
Armenia
39.381017, 46.249485
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Gavazan Column at Tatev Monastery

Tatev, Armenia

miles away

Old Khndzoresk Cave Village

Khndzoresk, Armenia

miles away

Zorats Karer

Sisian, Armenia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tatev

Tatev

Armenia

Places 2

Nearby Places

Gavazan Column at Tatev Monastery

Tatev, Armenia

miles away

Old Khndzoresk Cave Village

Khndzoresk, Armenia

miles away

Zorats Karer

Sisian, Armenia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tatev

Tatev

Armenia

Places 2

Related Places

  • Greifswald, Germany

    Eldena Abbey

    These crumbling monastery ruins inspired a master of German Romanticism.

  • The arch is visible below the surface

    Lleida, Spain

    Pont de Montiberri

    A river hides a charming medieval bridge.

  • The Holborn Viaduct as seen from Farringdon Street.

    London, England

    Holborn Viaduct

    London’s first road overpass is so old that it was originally built for horse-drawn carriages.

  • he River Westbourne flows above the station in a large iron conduit.

    London, England

    Sloane Square Tube Station

    One of London's lost rivers runs through a pipe over the tracks of this subway station.

  •  The statue of James Henry Greathead with a bus passing on one side.

    London, England

    Statue of James Henry Greathead

    This statue of one of the engineers who created the London Underground hides a ventilation shaft for the tube lines that run under the street.

  • Chattanooga, Tennessee

    Bench Avenue

    When local government began removing public benches, the public pushed back, and vibrant, community-built seating now outnumbers the official shelters at Chattanooga bus stops.

  • A white church with four small turrets, two of which appear to twist

    Curtea de Argeș, Romania

    Curtea de Argeș Monastery

    According to a gruesome legend, an architect sacrificed his wife to build this spectacular, 16th-century cathedral.

  • Zadarski Barkajoli

    Zadar, Croatia

    Zadarski Barkajoli

    The medieval ferry service has been going strong since the 14th century.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.