Top 10 Cultural Sites in Georgia

A very special highlight among the top cultural sites in Georgia is the charming old town of Tbilisi. A typical city tour in Tbilisi usually takes about three hours and takes you to various unique places that will inspire you.

During this tour, we will visit some of the city’s most beautiful attractions, such as the sulphur baths, Narikala Fortress, the Metekhi Church, Freedom Square, the Peace Bridge, the Fig Gorge with its impressive waterfall, a mosque and much more.

Visitors also use the cable car to reach the statue of the Mother of Georgia and enjoy breathtaking views of the city. This city tour offers our guests a wonderful opportunity to learn a lot of interesting and useful information about the history, culture and modern times of the city.

If you have a little more time, we can recommend a visit to the impressive Botanical Garden of Tbilisi. This is also one of the city’s tourist highlights and is definitely worth a visit.

This impressive 14th-century church is located in the picturesque mountainous region of Georgia, in Stepantsminda/Kazbeg, and is certainly one of the most beautiful and popular travel destinations in Georgia. The wonderful building, which is perched on a 2200-metre-high mountain, inspires visitors above all with its unique and breathtaking location. The church, surrounded by the majestic Mount Mkinvari, which rises a proud 5047 metres into the sky, is a highlight not to be missed.

Almost every time you see promotional material about Georgia, you will see this unique combination of the church and the mountain in pictures or videos. You can reach the church by different routes. You can, for example, take a nice hike there or drive by car. We recommend that you experience the wonderful mountain atmosphere by hiking. From the church, there is an impressive view of the valley and the settlement of Stepantsminda.

Vardzia is an impressive 12th-century cave town in South Georgia in the valley of the Kura River, which is undoubtedly one of the top cultural sites in Georgia. It is a unique and beautiful structure that takes us back to the golden age of Georgia. The complex includes several hundred rooms and halls, including living areas, a pharmacy, a wine cellar, churches and water reservoirs. These rooms are connected by tunnels that can still be visited today.

A particular highlight of the monument is a chapel carved into the rock, which contains impressive frescoes and murals. Inside the chapel is a very special fresco of Queen Tamar, which can also be seen in three other churches in the country. The unique location of the complex also allows visitors to enjoy the beauty of the Lesser Caucasus at the same time.

This mysterious ancient city, which was built between the 6th and 4th century BC in the beautiful region of Shida Kartli, is located right on the Kura River, near the charming town of Gori. In pre-Christian times, it was an important, if not the most important, political and religious centre in Georgia and had a highly developed infrastructure.

The complex includes a variety of rooms, including living rooms, a pharmacy, pantries, sacrificial sites, escape tunnels, temples and even a theatre. The existing gutters and canals prove that the city had a functioning sewage system that kept everything very clean.

As a settlement on the Silk Road, the city experienced a flourishing trade, which made the inhabitants wealthy and rich. However, with the spread of Christianity, the city lost its importance. The Mongol invasion came as a great shock to the city, which unfortunately led to the city being left in a very poor state and burning down.

The tour of the ancient city takes about an hour and a half and also gives you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the scenic beauty of the region. Please be careful during the tour as the city is geologically made of sandstone and can become slippery when it rains.

The Gelati Monastery is a true treasure of Georgian culture, architecture and history. It was built in the 12th century by the magnificent Georgian King David the Fourth to mark the beginning of the country’s Golden Age.

The picturesque monastery is located in a beautiful forest near the charming town of Kutaisi in western Georgia. It housed an impressive infrastructure, including the famous Gelati Academy. This academy was so incredibly prestigious that it was referred to as the ‘second Athos’ in its time.

The wonderful monastery was never destroyed or damaged and today you can still admire everything as it was created back then. In addition to the impressive architecture, the murals play a prominent role. They date back to different centuries and show the development of the Georgian school of painting.

A particular highlight is the mosaic of the Mother of God in the apse. This wonderful complex is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the top cultural sites in Georgia.

When talking about the top cultural sites in Georgia, Svaneti must not be forgotten. Svaneti is one of the country’s outstanding attractions. The region delights with its breathtaking scenic beauty and unique, protected monuments. The famous Svan towers and medieval residential complexes are very special and unique in the world. Equally fascinating are the chapels in Svaneti, which are decorated with unique wall paintings.

A very special highlight in Svaneti is the small, enchanting village of Chiashi, which lies at an altitude of 2200 metres in the municipality of Ushguli and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The residential complexes, especially the Luschnu-Kor, as well as the towers from the 9th to 13th century, make this village a special place that you must see. In an old tower of the village there is a museum with fascinating artefacts from the past of Uschguli.

Another vibrant destination in Uschguli is the small medieval chapel of Lamaria, which stands next to a tower and forms an imposing motif with the impressive backdrop of the Schkara mountain range. From the beautiful towns of Svaneti – Mestia and Lentechi – you can reach Uschguli via the picturesque passes of Sagaro and Lasdili.

If you travel through Kakheti, you should definitely visit the charming little town of Sighnaghi, built on a hill and featuring enchanting architecture. The city enchants with a breathtaking view of the famous Alazani plain and the majestic chain of the Greater Caucasus. Strolling through the narrow streets of the city is a very special pleasure, especially at sunset, a popular motif for photographers.

A very special highlight is the impressive city wall, which was built in the late Middle Ages and protected the entire city from external threats. Sighnaghi is the only city in Georgia that has such a beautiful wall. The wall is still well preserved today and a section of it can be visited by tourists. Here you can take a short but beautiful walk and enjoy the magnificent view.

Near the town is a beautiful nunnery dedicated to Saint Nino, the enlightener of Georgia. It is definitely worth making a small detour to visit, as it is a place where you can experience a spiritual atmosphere.

Hidden from the eyes of the world in the picturesque steppes of Kakheti, stands the monastery founded by Saint Davit in the 6th century. He was one of the 13 Assyrian fathers of the Church who were evangelising in Georgia at the time. The monastery consists of various parts, including a cave where Davit lived, a main chapel, rock caves as dwellings, a wall and a tower.

The most impressive part of the monastery is the cave monastery on the edge of the ridge. It boasts unique wall paintings and offers breathtaking views over the steppes towards both the Georgian and Azerbaijani sides. Even the journey to the monastery is a very special experience that you will never forget.

Visitors to the monastery have the wonderful opportunity to enjoy and photograph the impressive, steppe-like landscapes. With a little luck, you might even be able to spot vultures, foxes or other birds and animals here. This route is perfect for cyclists.

Attention! We would like to point out that poisonous snakes (Macrovipera lebetinus) live in the region. Although they are rarely seen on the path and near the monastery, you should still be especially careful, especially when entering the meadows, whether to take a photo or for any other reason.

Dieses wunderschöne Dorf liegt in Südgeorgien auf einem malerischen Hochplateau in einer Höhe von 1400 Metern. Obwohl es nicht sehr bekannt ist, möchten wir es gerne in die Liste der Top Kulturstätten in Georgien aufnehmen. Es besticht vor allem durch seine typisch südgeorgische Architektur, die einen ganz besonderen Charme ausstrahlt. Viele wunderschöne Häuser aus dem 17. und 18. Jahrhundert, die sogenannten “Mes’churi Darabzi” oder Mes’chische Hallen, befinden sich hier und beeindrucken bis heute die Besucher.

Doch am bekanntesten ist das Dorf für die beeindruckenden Ruinen einer alten Burganlage aus dem zweiten Jahrtausend vor Christus. Dies ist ein Zeugnis der megalithischen Kultur Georgiens. Die gut erhaltenen Ruinen lassen erahnen, wie groß und prächtig die Burg und die damals entwickelte Kultur gewesen sein müssen.

Das Dorf beherbergt heute ein wunderschönes Kloster, in dem eine beeindruckende Kirche aus dem Mittelalter steht. Von der Anlage aus kann man eine wirklich beeindruckende Aussicht auf die wunderschönen, umliegenden Dörfer genießen. Diese einmalige Anlage gehört zu den besten Reisetipps in Georgien und ist auf jeden Fall einen Besuch wert.