In the center of the balneological resort of Jermuk is the famous Jermuk waterfall, which is also called "Mermaid Hair". The Arpa Mountain River divided Jermuk into two parts by a deep mountain gorge and the Jermuk Waterfall flows into this gorge from a height of 68 meters along a basalt slope.
Usually, it is said about waterfalls that its water "falls". However, the word " flow down" is more appropriate here. A small river flows out of Lake Seven Springs. It is located in the center of Jermuk, on the right side of the gorge. After 400 meters from the lake, the river (it is called the Jermuk Channel) flows down the mountain slope into the gorge of the Arpa River.
The streams of this river are evenly distributed along the basalt slope of the gorge into hundreds of jets. They look especially beautiful in spring after the snow melts in the mountains. In summer and autumn, the Jermuk waterfall is not very full-flowing.
The name "Mermaid Hair" is associated with the legend about the love of the daughter of a local prince and a simple shepherd. As always, such legends have an unhappy ending: the prince`s daughter fell in love with an ordinary shepherd, but her father was against it. He cursed her. She turned into a mermaid and threw herself from the cliff into the river, and her hair remained on the slope of the gorge.
The Jermuk waterfall is considered one of the main attractions of the resort. You can walk along the path along the gorge. There you will see not only the Jermuk waterfall, but also a huge natural arch in basalt rocks.
