Drisi Javakhaant Fortress, also known as Tamaris-tsikhe, stands atop a rock on the left bank of the Tedzami River, 400 metres west of Chkopiani village, Kaspi Municipality, among the fortresses, ruins and castles of the region. The architectural complex includes a castle, a fortress wall, the Church of St George, a tower and a palace.
For more on the fortress's history, see the article on Drisi Fortress.
Built by the Georgian feudal Toreli family, it later passed to the Javakhishvili family, which gave it its name. Historical records also refer to it as Kvenadrisi Castle, after a nearby former village. In 1624, members of the Javakhishvili family concluded an agreement with Giorgi Saakadze, the noted Georgian military commander.
A fair warning about the route's physical difficulty is worth including. According to numerous independent reviews, the fortress is only reachable by high-clearance 4x4: the final stretch of road is demanding, the trail to the top is hard to locate, and the route includes a river crossing. Entering the fortress itself also requires caution: there are no stairs, some visitors describe it as rock climbing, and several reviews explicitly warn of rockfall risk. Even so, the fortress remains one of the region's most striking and uncrowded sites: according to reviews, it's a place for those willing to accept a physical challenge in exchange for a genuinely untouched atmosphere. Not recommended for young children or visitors who prefer easy access.
