The city of Telavi

Stretched along the slope of Gombori mountain, the  capital  of Kakheti Telavi appears as a small town. On the old Transcaucasian east-west axis was first mentioned in the 2nd century by the Greek geographer and astronomer Claudios Ptolemy. The name derives from Tela English elm. Telavi was the residence of the Kakheti kings, and for a short time, the capital of the kingdom. Among the sights of the city is an eighty-five-year-old plane, the ruins of the Citadel Batonistsikhe, the remaining residence of the last great Georgian king Erekle II of Kartl-Kakheti, who has led over a hundred defensive wars in his life. His military fame reached Europe, Frederick the Great was said to have said about him:  "In the west I am, in the east Heraclius."  The king's mighty equestrian statue, with a sword in his hand, is in the center of Telavi.
 There are also many art-historical buildings in the vicinity of Telavi.

Cross-dome church of Kvetara
The journey offers the visit of Kvetara, a graceful quadripartite building (10th c.), whose special feature is turquoise glazed roof tiles. The church rises in a breathtaking landscape, where the ruins of a two-storied palace, possibly the residence of the Kakheti kings.

 

Dsveli and axali Shuamta
Shuamta means "situated between the mountains", which refers to the very secluded and picturesque location of the Old-Shuamta (dsveli schuamta). The monastery complex comprises a basilica of the 5th century as well as a mother god church and a dome church with a crypt, dating back to the 7th century. The frescoes in the Mother God Church are dated to the 11th and 12th century.
After the decline of Dzveli Shuamta in the 16th century, the New Shuamta wa built by Queen Tinatin, 3 km away, after the place had been revealed in the dream. The interior of the church is adorned with frescoes from the 16th and 17th centuries, including the portrait of Queen Tinatin and her husband King Levan I on the west wall. In the XIX c. church and bell tower were whitewashed. The tomb of Queen Tinatin is also on the site of the monastery.

Monastery and Academy Ikalto
The founding of the monastery Ikalto is connected to one of the thirteen Syrian fathers,  Holy Zenon, and dates back to the 6th century. Perhaps also from this time comes the Ikalto- Cloister ensemble. The ruins of the refectory (8th / 9th century) and the academy, founded by the famous philosopher Arsen Ikaltoeli in the 12th century, were commissioned by King Davit IV  the builder.Iran ruler, Shah Abbas I destroyed  Ikalto Academy in 1616. Beside their ruins are the remains of a wine cellar and a wine press. You learn that viticulture and wine processing belonged to the former teaching subjects. The story of Ikalto Academy also includes the life and work of Georgian national poet Shota Rustaveli (12th century), who has studied here. The Kakhetians are fond of telling that Rustaveli had begun writing his world-famous poem "Knight in the panther's skin" within the Wall of the Ikalto Academy.

 Alaverdi Cathedral
Artistic sites include the cathedral of Alaverdi. Where the small George’s church was located on a pre-Christian sanctuary in the 6th century, the silver-shimmering silhouette of the cathedral from the 11th century is visible today, which stands in impressive contrast to the green of the landscape. With a height of 50 m, it is the tallest of Georgian medieval monumental buildings and, inevitably, of Romanesque churches - certainly belongs to the most beautiful sacral buildings of Caucasus.

Tsinandali
The museum house on the Tsinandali estate of the Grand Duke Alexandre Chavchavadze (1786-1846) is a representative country house of the early 19th century, surrounded by a beautiful English-style park on the banks of the river Kisis-khevi. During the walk in the garden you will visit the house of the nobility of the family Chavchavadze, where you can taste the different wines in the cellar of the museum.

Gremi Fortress
An interesting part of the trip is the visit to the castle of Gremi. Gremi,today a small village, was in the 16th century a considerable Kakheti capital. The center of the city stretched at  the foothills of the Great Caucasus in the fertile Alazani valley. Apart from the royal palace, the city had residential and bathing houses, five churches, a caravansarai, and a customs room.  Gremi castle with its Archangel church (1565) and a residential and military tower built of brick were still better preserved than the city. The giddy climber offers a view of the Alazani valley from the top of the tower. To the east of the castle lies an old wine cellar and a museum. In the courtyard of the castle you will also find a restaurant, where you can enjoy Kakheti cuisine.

Nekresi
  A further incentive is the monastery Nekresi, it is located in the middle of forests, at an altitude of about 900 m on the slope of one of the foothills of the Great Caucasus. Today isolated and remote, Nekresi (4th-17th century) was once a place of political and ideological importance. Here was a town founded by Parnajom, one of the legendary heroe kings of the old Georgian chronicle, a city Nelkarisi (from Nekresi). Since the 4th century, the provincial administration of the Kakhti church was located in Nekresi. Nekresi monastery today contains several art-historical buildings. These include: a church built in the fourth century AD, presumably further more earlier there existed sun temple. the unusual three-aisled basilica (4th century), the central dome church (6th / 7th century), the wine cellar with,  Refectory, the Episcopal Palace and the Tower (16th / 17th century) with another view of  Alazani Valley.

Kvareli
The city of Kvareli and its surroundings is particularly interesting to visit in autumn. In Kvareli  wine is produced. The local winegrowers offer visitors wine tasting. You has the possibility to take part in the vintage with the peasant family, which means the handwork, to bake Georgian bread (schoti-puri) in the Georgian oven (tone), and to the preparation Georgian dessert churchkela to participate. In Kvareli visitors can visit 7.7 km winecellar called "Gvirabi", which is cut out into the mountains of Caucasus, and then taste various wines. In the city of Kvareli and in its surroundings there are also many sights: the museums, Kvareli Lake,  Ilia’s Lake,  Karli’s Fortress,  Gremi Abbey, and  Nekresi Monastery. Above all, you can enjoy the breathtaking view over the Great Caucasus.

Sighnaghi Town

Sighnaghi- the city of love, its medieval town wall with its 28 towers from the 18th century is a favorite place for tourists and holidaymakers. The smallest Georgian town is located in Terraces a hill surrounded by the mountains of Kakheti. Its houses, built in the 18th / 19th century, are decorated in classic Italian style, complemented by Mediterranean and Georgian elements. Sighnaghi offers an overwhelming panorama of the lowland of Alazani and of the summit chain of the Great Caucasus, which is over 4 000 m high, snow-capped for many months. The place is known for its wine, which you can taste with a winegrower family, as well as for traditional carpets, which are produced here. You can also visit these local manufactories for carpets and ceramics, while taking a walk to explore the city of Sighnaghi with its ancient architecture, museums and an ethnographic park.

Bodbe

The convent of Bodbe is one of the most famous monasteries in the country. The basilica of the monastery was erected on the tomb of St. Nino,who brought Christianity in Georgia. Here she is buried. Inside the church are preserved the unique wall paintings, which represent besides Adam and Eve further scenes from the Bible.
The icon of the Mother of God, Mary, who has been cut up crosswise, still bears the traces of the "anti-religious propaganda" of the Communists.
In the rear courtyard of the monastery grounds, a staircase leads from the Bodbe monastery through a small forest path to the holy spring. Three times dipping as well as drinking water, which belongs to the ritual bath, cures illnesses.

The cave monastery Davit Gareja

The cave monastery Davit Gareja is one of the most famous sights of Georgia. It was founded in the 6th century AD by Davit, one of the thirteen Syrian fathers. The route to Davit Gareja is a journey through the Steppe landscape, past two small salt water and always accompanied by vast amounts of beautiful and rare birds. The monastery complexes lie deep in the semi-desert and comprise 19 religious buildings. The oldest of these is the Lavra monastery, which dates back to the hermitage of the monk Davit. The caves of the monastery are painted with unique frescoes to visit, the visitors climb up the mountain Udabno (the desert). From here a picturesque panorama with beautiful landscapes and a magnificent view to neighboring Azerbaijan.

Lagodekhi nature reserve
The Natural Park of Lagodekhi is located in the area of the small town of Lagodekhi on the slopes of the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. Here dozens of typical Caucasian plant species grow. The largest lake on the nature reserve is Lake Shaviklde. Near Azerbaijan border is the medieval Tamar’s fortress. Visitors can spend a few days in the national park. You can stay in the tent or in the weather station Lagodekhi at a height of 2000 m, ride a horse, walk along the river Nino’s- khevi to a wonderful waterfall, or relax in the green of the countryside.