Yerevan, Armenia

Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, is marked by grand Soviet-era architecture. Lofty and landlocked, Yerevan is one of the sunniest of the ex-Soviet capitals, and for most of the year the azure-blue firmament is punctuated only by the awe-inspiring shape of Mount Ararat. In Soviet days Yerevan had already become known as the ''Pink City'' as much due to the colour of the stone used for building as for the flamboyant spirit of its young population.