Cities of Georgia. A wonderful land of winemaking is Kakheti. Sights and the most famous tourist sites of Kakheti.

Chateau Mere is a Georgian hotel. The main feature of this establishment is that it is located right in an old castle. This is a very interesting interior solution, plus in good weather there are wonderful views of the Caucasian Ridge and the Alazani Valley. The hotel is also unusual in that it independently produces wine. It is sold not only in the hotel itself, but also throughout Georgia. By the way, this is the first chateau hotel. No one has ever had such ideas before. The rest of the "chateaux" are just wineries. There is also a very tasty cuisine with an unusual serving.

Old and New Shuamta – two monasteries that are at a distance from each other. Shuamta means "among the mountains", although there are no mountains in the vicinity.

Novaya Shuamta is a convent. The temple is open to the public, although the main gate is always closed. After the restoration, a fresco was found and partially restored here, which depicts the creator of this temple – Tinatin. She was the queen of Kakheti.

Old Shuamta It was the first Shuamta and the only one until a new One was built. The monastery was built in the 5th century. There are three medieval temples on the territory of the Old Shuamta. They are lined up close to each other. (Basilica, Large Domed Temple, Small Domed Temple).

Telavi – the capital of Kakheti. It is located 70 km from Tbilisi. The resort town is bordered by a wild forest. Here you can visit the Batonis-tsikhe Fortress, Telavi Plato, Irakli II Avenue, Nadikvari Park, the Royal Palace and the local market. The city has a well-developed industry.

Thanks to the mild climate, you can come here at any time of the year and you will be satisfied. Around the city you will see huge areas of vineyards, as well as admire the mighty and beautiful Alazani River.

Tsinandali– a village located in the northeast of Telavi. It is famous for its estate, which belonged to the Chavchavadze family. This family played a big role in Russia's relations with Georgia.

This is the birthplace of tsinandali white wine. It is unique in all respects and was made according to a special recipe. The garden next to the estate has a truly wild and natural beauty, it has a maze and unusual plant species grow.

Shumi Winery is a wine company, the main wine supplier in Georgia, founded by the Chavchavadze family. Shumi means "high–quality undiluted wine". It grows its own grapes for wine production. Grapes are unique, which distinguishes Shumi from other producers. And also the plant does everything by itself from growing vineyards to bottling wine. The plant borders on the museum. Chavchavadze.

Estate of Princes Chavchavadze – one of the main attractions of Kakheti. The estate was built in the early 1820s. The secular life of Georgia has been boiling here for a long time. Many famous faces have been here. It was also here that the famous Russian writer Alexander Griboyedov met Princess Nina Chavchavadze, who later became his wife.

Ikalto– a small monastery complex, a monument of Georgian architecture. This is one of the first monasteries in Georgia. There are three temples on its territory.

During the reign of King David the Builder, the Assumption Church was built here. A famous Academy was built next to him, where Shota Rustaveli himself studied. There are a lot of destroyed buildings here.

Alaverdi Cathedral–the Cathedral of St. George. Its height is 50 m . It is the second highest in Georgia. The temple is surrounded by fortress walls. The medieval building is one of the main attractions not only in Kakheti, but also in Georgia as a whole.

The cathedral suffered from earthquakes more than once, but was restored. The name of the cathedral means the Alvan Plain, in which it stands.

Gremi Castle – one of the most famous castles in Georgia. Gremi was once the capital of Kakheti. Now it is an empty, abandoned city. Of interest here is only the Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and the bell tower. Actually, this is all that remains of the city.

The monuments of Gremi have been proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the north of the Alazani Valley, among the high, mighty mountains and thickets of trees, Lake Lopota is comfortably located. At the beginning of the 19th century, perfume was created here from roses that were grown around the lake. The artificial lake is famous today for its resort. The land around it was given into private hands, and now there is no free access here. There are very picturesque views of the lake, which reflects the mountains and lush greenery.

Complex of monasteries of Nekresi located on a mountain, to get into it, you need to climb 1.5 km uphill. This location allows you to see the Alazani Valley in all its beauty. One of the most ancient buildings is the Church of John the Baptist, built in the 4th century.

In the 8th century, another monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built nearby. If the church of St. John the Baptist is quite ancient and looks like an empty building made of rough stone from the inside, then the monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary is already more modern. Here you will see murals on the walls.

In the Alazani Valley in the east of Georgia stands the town of Kvareli. This is a fairly large settlement. Of the notable places here, it is worth visiting the Kvarelskaya fortress, standing in the very center of the city.

The Khareba Wine Tunnel is a tunnel in the rock where the wine shop is now located. The Chavchavadze house has an unusual architectural solution. It is snow-white in color and resembles paper scrolls from the side. A lot of significant events took place here at the time.

There is a city in KakhetiSighnaghi, a romantic cozy corner reminiscent of Italy. Here the roofs are covered with red tiles, the streets are paved with cobblestones, and along them there are lamps made in the old days.

Sighnaghi is a city of love. There is a 24-hour registry office. Here the great artist Niko Pirosmani presented "a million scarlet roses" to a French actress. There is also a wine shop in Sighnaghi, which is one of the leading in Georgia – "Tears of the Pheasant". Here you can taste wine and have lunch.

Two kilometers from Sighnaghi is the Bodbe Monastery, sacred to the whole of Georgia. Saint Nino rests here, it was she who led Georgia to Orthodoxy. On the territory of the temple flows a holy spring, according to legend, purifying from sins. Before you get to it, you will have to overcome 647 steps. Fascinating views of the Alazani Valley open from here.

The monastery complex of David Gareji stretches along the border with Azerbaijan. The complex was created in the 6th century on the territory of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Here are the monasteries of the Lavra of David and Tetri-Udabno. The churches and caves of the monastery are covered with frescoes from the inside.

It is problematic to look at them, since Georgia and Azerbaijan cannot agree on the border for a long time. The border guards of Azerbaijan do not let tourists into these caves. Those who cannot give birth to a child come here with prayers. The sacred place helps to become parents.

Akhtala– the only and very popular mud resort in Georgia. Volcanic mud rises from the bowels of the earth and has healing properties. It cures many diseases. People here take mud baths and just rub themselves with this mud. Along with this, there are mineral water sources here.

Lagodehi

Lagodekhi National Park –a relatively young park, just like Vashlovani, it stands on the border with Azerbaijan. This is a favorite place for travelers. Here you will see waterfalls, glacial lakes, lush and interesting vegetation. There are high mountains next to the rainforest, and alpine meadows are spread out.

On the territory of the park there is a huge and abandoned fortress of Machi. Lagodekhi is notable for the fact that it does not fit into the nature of Kakheti at all. It was as if he had been plucked from another part of the planet and placed here. You can visit this park for free and stay overnight near it.