Kakheti
Kakheti (Georgian: კახეთი) – The historical region and a modern administrative-territorial division in eastern Georgia. Kakheti is one of the most beautiful regions of Georgia, a land of sunny fields, vineyards, castles, historical fortified cities, medieval churches and monasteries, and amazing natural monuments. The origins of Kakheti occurred before Our Era, at that time the land was called Iberia. Throughout history, Kakheti has returned and again fallen out of the united Georgian state. The once independent Kakheti Kingdom, which turned into a kingdom of mysterious ancient cities and monasteries, endless vineyards and picturesque Caucasian mountains. The kingdom of the best Georgian wines.
Kakheti is known for its ancient culture and winemaking traditions. The region grows about 80 varieties of grapes, and of the 18 locally produced wines registered in Georgia, 14 are made in Kakheti. In Georgia, a country of wine lovers, everyone will tell you that the best wines are made in its easternmost and most fertile part, which Dumas called the “region of Kakhetian gardens.” Since then, little has changed in the daily life of the region: ox-drawn carts are common in the narrow streets of villages, fields are filled with haystacks, and sweet grapes are still picked by hand. Add to all of the above a warm welcome from the locals, and you will immediately get a taste for traveling in this part of Georgia.
Telavi
Telavi City (Georgian: თელავი) – The administrative center of Kakheti is located in the Alazani Valley. The oldest city in Georgia has been known since the 1st-2nd centuries AD, and at one time served as an important trade center on the caravan route from the Middle East to Europe. The history of Telavi is closely linked with the history of Kakheti itself – the area of which it has always been the center. In the 17th – 18th centuries, it was the capital of the Kakhetian principality, as evidenced by the Batonis-tsikhe castle built in the center of the city in the 18th century.
Top attractions in Kakheti:
Vashlovani National Park
Vashlovani Protected Areas (Reserve) (Georgian: ვაშლოვანის დაცული ტერიტორიები) – Protected Areas are located in the easternmost region of Georgia. They include the Vashlovani Reserve, a national park and three natural monuments – Artsivis Kheoba, Alazani Floodplain Forests (Kaklis Kure) and Takhti-Tefa Mud Volcanoes. The protected area also includes the Pantishara-Vashlovani Massifs, the altitude of which ranges from 300 to 600 meters above sea level.
Lagodekhi Protected Areas
Lagodekhi National Park (Georgian: ლაგოდეხის ნაციონალური პარკი) – The rare and beautiful corner of wild pristine nature. Most of the territory is covered by forests, almost 5 thousand hectares are occupied by alpine and subalpine meadows. The national park has preserved untouched ecosystems, reservoirs and waterfalls. There are still corners in the park where endangered animals live. There are especially many rare birds that fill the reserve with a polyphonic ringing. Many inhabitants of the reserve are listed in the Red Book of Georgia
Batsara-Babaneuri Protected Areas
Batsara-Babaneuri Protected Areas (Georgian: ბაწარა – ბაბანეულის დაცული ტერიტორიები) – The pearl of nature that embodies a unique combination of diverse ecosystems. The national park was founded to ensure the preservation of tertiary species of relict hornbeam deciduous azate – a unique massif included in the “Red List” of Georgia. The area of this natural refuge of majestic species is 862.1 hectares, creating ideal conditions for various forms of life. It is a true paradise for nature lovers, photographers and those who appreciate encounters with wild life.
Pankisi Valley
Pankisi Valley (Georgian: პანკისის ხეობა) – The gorge is located in the southern branch of the Main Caucasus Range, on the Nakerala Range. The gorge is characterized by beautiful nature, amazing peaks of the Caucasus, rich deciduous forests, diverse fields and crystal clear mountain rivers. The history of the Pankisi Valley, ancient churches and fortresses, mountains, waterfalls, rivers and lakes, flora, fauna and most importantly people, their traditions, cuisine and culture, have long attracted tourists from all over the world.
Sighnaghi City
The city of Sighnaghi (Georgian: ქალაქი სიღნაღი) – The city, perched on a hill above the Alazani Valley, was built in the 18th century by King Erekle II to protect the region from Lezgin invasions. Sighnaghi is famous for its eponymous fortress, one of the most famous and largest fortresses in Georgia. The city has not changed at all over the past two centuries, and has fully preserved its original character. It offers an indescribably beautiful view of the mountain peaks of the Greater Caucasus.
Gremi architectural complex
Gremi architectural complex (Georgian: გრემის კომპლექსი) – The most beautiful castles in the country and the most spectacular in Kakheti, Gremi amazes with its size, as well as the amazing foresight of its architects, who in the 15th century erected such a powerful structure on a rough rock, gracefully inscribed in the landscape. The Gremi architectural complex is considered the pearl of the Kakheti wine region and is not accidentally included in every excursion trip to the region.
Tsinandali Estate
Tsinandali Estate (Georgian: წინანდლის მამული) – The ancestral estate of the Chavchavadzes, one of the leading aristocratic families of Georgia. Here you can see beautifully preserved buildings, including the Alexander Chavchavadze House Museum, where literary evenings and meetings with famous people were held. The estate is surrounded by a magnificent park with exotic plants, which makes this place ideal for walks
Ujarma Fortress
Ujarma Fortress (Georgian: უჯარმის ციხე) – One of the most important monuments of medieval architecture in Georgia, due to its location and historical significance. Beginning in the 3rd century AD, the fortress was the residence of kings and heirs to the throne. Ujarma’s main heyday was in the 5th-6th centuries AD, during the reign of Vakhtang Gorgasali and his son Dachi. The fortress was one of the main outposts in protecting the country from periodic invasions of Arab and Persian troops.
Alaverdi Cathedral
Alaverdi Cathedral (Georgian: ალავერდის ტაძარი) – Surrounded by massive walls, the temple proudly rises against the backdrop of the Caucasus Range. Majestically rising, it dominates the surrounding landscape. Built in the 11th century in the Alazani Valley. The space of the church is impressive – high arches form a cross in the upper register of the structure. It belongs to the cross-domed type of church and is the highest in Eastern Georgia.
Bodbe Monastery
Bodbe Monastery (Georgian: ბოდბის მონასტერი) – With its rich history and breathtaking surroundings, Bodbe Monastery remains a treasured landmark and a symbol of Georgia’s deep-rooted Christian heritage. Saint Nino, one of the most revered saints in Georgia, found her final resting place here. This place attracts both pilgrims and tourists seeking spiritual solace and admiring the beautiful architecture.
David Gareji monastery
David Gareji complex (Georgian: დავით გარეჯის მონასტერი) – The monastery carved into the rock was founded in the 6th century by one of the 13 Syrian monks who came to Georgia to spread Christianity. The monastery complex, located in a semi-desert area, included 19 monasteries. The oldest of them is the David Gareji Lavra, where St. David is buried. According to legend, visiting David Gareji three times can be equal to a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Ikalto Monastery
Ikalto Monastery Complex (Georgian: იყალთოს მონასტერი) – The monastery complex is one of the oldest in Georgia. It was founded by one of the 13 Assyrian Fathers, Zenon of Ikalto in the 6th century. There are three churches on the territory of the monastery. An academy was founded at the monastery in the 12th century, which is the first wine academy in the world known to historians. Despite numerous devastations, many testimonies from the heyday of the monastery have survived to this day.
Nekresi Monastery
Nekresi Monastery (Georgian: ნეკრესის მონასტერი) – The monastery rises on land where an ancient city already existed in the 2nd century BC. In the 4th century AD, the first basilica was built here, and two centuries later, one of the 13 Assyrian Fathers, Abibos of Nekresi, came to this sacred place. This event began a new chapter in the history of the monastery complex. The Monastery Complex offers a breathtaking view of the Alazani Valley.
Shuamta Monasteries
Shuamta Monasteries (Georgian: შუამთის მონასტრები) – The monasteries – Old and New Shuamta were built at different times, have different architecture and history, and are connected only by name. New Shuamta is an active women’s monastery, built in the 15th century, in the best traditions of that time. Old Shuamta is located deeper in the forest in a quiet, almost deserted place. The monastery is a complex of three buildings.
*The full list of attractions in the region is presented in the section –Attractions
