Jermuk (Ջերմուկ) is a mountain spa town and the center of the Jermuk Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province in southern Armenia, at a road distance of 53 km east of the provincial capital Yeghegnadzor. It was considered one of the popular destinations for medical tourism in the Soviet Union.
Jermuk is known for its hot springs and mineral water brands bottled in the town. It is attractive for its fresh air, waterfall, artificial lakes, walking trails, the surrounding forests and mineral water pools. The town is being redeveloped to become a modern center of tourism and health services. It is also being set up to become a major chess centre, with numerous chess international tournaments scheduled in the town. As per the 2016 official estimate, Jermuk had a population of around 3,400. However, as of the 2011 census, the population of Jermuk was 5,572. The nearby villages of Herher (pop. 706), Karmrashen (pop. 252), and Gndevaz (pop. 829) are also part of the municipality (community) of Jermuk.
The name of the town is derived from the Armenian word of "jermuk" (ջերմուկ) or "jermook", in Western Armenian "chermoug", meaning "warm mineral spring", first mentioned during the 13th century by historian Stepanos Orbelian in his work History of the Sisakan Province.
