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Shushi is unavoidable en route to Stepanakert via the Lachin corridor. The main attraction of Shushi is the newly restored Cathedral, which is a pristine white, very large and attractive. After seeing so many monasteries in Armenia built from "touf", this structure stands out quite a bit. There is also the Ganach Jham Church, which can be seen from the Cathedral. Of the mosques, one should at least visit Verkhiya Mosque, which will allow one to climb up the minarets and get a great view of the town and area, including the valley which Stepanakert lies in. Stepanakert and its surrounding areas were barraged with bombs from this vantage above the surrounding plains.

The damage to Stepanakert during the war is mostly repaired, but the extensive damage to Shushi is still apparent and one can explore these ruins, which are so odd to see interspersed among occupied homes and businesses. Most of the buildings are of white stone, in the traditional architecture of the region, and much more attractive than the newer, soviet constructions.

There is a little town square with the slogan "The Armenians only salvation lies in their unity" in Armenian painted above one of the buildings. The original writer of that sentence is said to have been jailed for it. The square has a convenience store, a restaurant, a park, and the government building. It is also near the post office where you can mail letters and postcards with Karabakh postage stamps and make international calls as well.

Before checking out the city walls then heading down to Stepanakert  there is a vantage point that overlooks the huge rock on the side of the mountain where Shushi lies. The view here is impressive and the rock will make any climbers mouth water. It is a very sheer rock, although at certain points it can be crisscrossed and climbed by any hiker. This rock twists around a little like a boomerang and the other end towers above Karintak (Under the Rock) village.

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