Davit Gareja
Less of a monastery than a series of cave-hewn chapels, Udabno runs along a steep escarpment looking down to grassy plains in Azerbaijan. While many caves…
Andrew Montgomery
Kakheti
The eastern region of Kakheti is Georgia’s premier wine-producing area. Almost everywhere you go, you’ll be invited to drink a glass of traditional qvevri brew, and it’s easy to find yourself wandering around in a semipermanent mellow haze. Kakheti is also rich in history: here you’ll find the incredible monastery cave complex of Davit Gareja in a desolate spot overlooking the Azerbaijan border; the vaguely Tuscan-looking hilltop town of Sighnaghi; and many extraordinarily located churches and castles – both ruined and restored – around the charming regional capital, Telavi.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Kakheti
Prince Alexander Chavchavadze (1786–1846) was one of the most colourful and influential characters in Georgian history, and the palace and gardens he…
Kakheti
At the beginning of the 11th century, when Georgia was entering its cultural and political golden age, King Kvirike of Kakheti had this majestic cathedral…
Telavi
Batonistsikhe was the residence of the Kakhetian kings in the 17th and 18th centuries and remains today a superbly preserved old castle right in the…
Sighnaghi
This well-displayed, modern museum has good exhibits on Kakheti archaeology and history downstairs, and a room of 13 paintings by Kakheti-born artist Niko…
Sighnaghi
Most of Erekle II’s 4km defensive wall still stands, with 23 towers and each of its six gates named after a local village. Part of the wall runs along…
Kakheti
A very professional modern operation 7km southeast of central Telavi, producing 1.5 million bottles a year – 30% is qvevri wine (under the Vinoterra label…
Kakheti
This remote, 244-sq-km nature reserve climbs to heights of over 3000m in the Caucasus above the small town of Lagodekhi in eastern Kakheti near the…
Guidebooks
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