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The church of Ateni Sioni among trees in the Ateni valley, below steep rocky hills

Things to see

Things to see and do in Shida Kartli

The rock-cut town of Uplistsikhe, Gori’s hilltop fortress and its Stalin Museum, the frescoes of Ateni Sioni and Kintsvisi, the carved stone of Samtavisi and Ertatsminda, and the fortress and sweet bread of Surami. Here are the places worth your time.

Gori and the Mtkvari valley

Gori, the regional capital, grew up around its hilltop fortress where the Liakhvi river meets the Mtkvari. The cave town of Uplistsikhe is 10 km to the east, and the Ateni valley, with its 7th-century church and vineyards, 10 km to the south.

A medieval church of brick and stone standing on top of the cave dwellings of Uplistsikhe under a blue sky Cave town

Uplistsikhe

The Lord’s Fortress, cut in rock

One of the oldest towns in Georgia, carved into a sandstone ridge above the Mtkvari river 10 km east of Gori, with cave halls, a theatre, wine cellars, a secret tunnel and a church on top.

The stone walls and towers of Gori Fortress climbing a rocky green hill Fortress

Gori Fortress

The citadel above the city

A medieval citadel on the rocky hill in the middle of Gori, rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries, with free entry and views over the city and the rivers to the Caucasus.

The colonnaded pavilion over Stalin’s birth house, with the tower of the Stalin Museum behind Museum

Stalin Museum

Soviet history in his home town

The museum in Gori dedicated to Joseph Stalin, who was born here in 1878, with the small house of his birth, Soviet-era exhibition halls and his armoured railway carriage.

The domed stone church of Ateni Sioni among trees in the green Tana valley Church

Ateni Sioni

Frescoes in a wine valley

An early 7th-century church in the village of Ateni, 10 km south of Gori, with some of the finest medieval wall paintings in Georgia and vineyards along the Tana river.

Kaspi: on the road from Tbilisi

The eastern part of the region, around the town of Kaspi, is the first part of Shida Kartli you reach from Tbilisi. Just off the highway is Samtavisi Cathedral, and in the villages and wooded gorges to the south are some of the best medieval churches in the country.

The east façade of Samtavisi Cathedral, with its carved cross and arches, at the end of a stone path Cathedral

Samtavisi Cathedral

A masterpiece of carved stone

An 11th-century cathedral near the village of Igoeti, about 45 km from Tbilisi, famous for the carved decoration of its east façade and still the seat of a bishop.

The golden stone Ertatsminda Cathedral with its tall dome, seen across a lawn Church

Ertatsminda Cathedral

A golden village cathedral

A 13th-century domed church of golden stone in the middle of the village of Ertatsminda, dedicated to Saint Eustathius of Mtskheta, with carved windows and façades.

The domed church of Kvatakhevi Monastery behind a stone gate, among green trees Monastery

Kvatakhevi Monastery

A monastery hidden in a gorge

A working monastery from the 12th and 13th centuries at the end of a wooded gorge in the Trialeti hills, with a finely carved church and a large ornamental cross on its east façade.

A single stone arch bridge over a rocky stream in a green forest near Rkoni Monastery Monastery

Rkoni Monastery and bridge

Forest, river and a stone arch

A remote monastery in the forested Tedzami valley, reached across a graceful medieval stone bridge. The last stretch of road is rough, so most people come with a driver.

Kareli, Khashuri and the road west

West of Gori, the valley narrows towards the Likhi range, which divides eastern and western Georgia. Here are the frescoes of Kintsvisi, the 7th-century church at Tsromi, the hill fortress of Surami and, just over the regional border, the spa town of Borjomi.

The brick and stone church of Kintsvisi Monastery with its tall drum and dome, among trees Monastery

Kintsvisi Monastery

Queen Tamar on the wall

A monastery on a wooded slope about 10 km from Kareli, whose early 13th-century brick church holds a celebrated cycle of frescoes, including a portrait of Queen Tamar.

The plain stone walls of Tsromi Church and its low drum against a deep blue sky Church

Tsromi Church

A 7th-century milestone

A church built in 626–634 in the village of Tsromi, near Khashuri, the first in Georgia whose dome rests on four free-standing pillars, a design that shaped later Georgian churches.

The ruined walls of Surami Fortress on a rocky outcrop above the town Fortress

Surami Fortress

Legends and sweet bread

A medieval fortress on a rock above the small resort town of Surami, famous for the legend of the young man walled into it and for the sweet nazuki bread sold by the road.

Tall trees and paths in Borjomi Central Park on a sunny summer day Day trip

Borjomi

Spa town and mineral springs

The spa town in a wooded gorge about 30 km south-west of Khashuri, in the next region, known for its mineral water, its Central Park and the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park.

Planning your route

Shida Kartli lies along one main road, the highway from Tbilisi to western Georgia. Most sights are a short detour from it, so you can see the region from east to west in two or three days, or pick the highlights on a day trip.

Gori and around

  1. Climb Gori Fortress for the view over the city.
  2. Visit the Stalin Museum and his birth house.
  3. Take a taxi to Uplistsikhe, the cave town on the Mtkvari.
  4. Head south to Ateni Sioni and its valley of vineyards.

East: Kaspi

On the way from Tbilisi, stop at Samtavisi Cathedral, just off the highway. With a car, add the monasteries of Kvatakhevi and Rkoni in the wooded hills to the south and the cathedral at Ertatsminda.

West: Kareli and Khashuri

West of Gori are the frescoes of Kintsvisi, the 7th-century church at Tsromi and the fortress above Surami. Over the hills to the south-west is Borjomi.

Good to know

Most churches are open from morning to evening, but some are locked outside service times. Dress modestly, and keep well away from the occupation line north of Gori. Read our one-day itinerary.

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Cave towns, frescoes and Georgian wine

Walk the rock-cut streets of Uplistsikhe, climb Gori Fortress for the view to the Caucasus, see the frescoes of Ateni Sioni and Kintsvisi and end the day at a Georgian table. Compare tours and book in a couple of taps.

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