Municipalities of Shida Kartli

💬 Shida Kartli ("Inner Kartli") is a region in central Georgia, comprising four fully controlled municipalities: Gori (the administrative center), Kaspi, Kareli, and Khashuri, as well as the Java municipality, which is effectively located in South Ossetia. Trains and minibuses from Tbilisi and Kutaisi run to all four cities several times a day, making travel easy and affordable.

💬 The Gori Municipality is home to the Stalin Museum—the house where Joseph Dzhugashvili was born and raised, complete with his personal armored railway carriage and hundreds of the leader's personal belongings. Gori was founded in the 7th century and remains a source of local pride; nearby stands the Gori Fortress, offering panoramic views of the entire city and the Mtkvari River valley.

💬 Uplistsikhe is Georgia's oldest cave town, with a history spanning over 3,000 years. It was founded in the 2nd century BC and was used as a fortress, religious center, and trade center. From Tbilisi, the most convenient way to get to Gori is by minibus or train, then take a taxi to the rock town. Admission to most of the region's attractions is free or costs around 3 lari.

💬 Kaspi Municipality is home to the 12th-13th-century Kvatakhevi Monastery—once the main literary and educational center of Georgia, where writers and calligraphers from across the country worked; some manuscripts from its library have survived to this day. Kareli Municipality is home to the 8th-century Ateni Sioni (Simon), a church decorated with three types of the Georgian alphabet, and the 11th-century Samtavisi Cathedral, with its exquisite stone carvings on its façade.

💬 Khashuri Municipality produces the rare semi-sweet red wine Dirbula from the grape variety of the same name. It's almost impossible to find in stores; you can only try it at local wineries. The village of Surami, with its medieval fortress and the 7th-century Rkoni Monastery on the Trialeti Range, is also located here—a picturesque spot for a day trip from Tbilisi.