Georgia – great wine, quaint villages, and a trendy capital

We’ve been following a Silk Road route on our travels, and it’s taken us into the Caucasus Mountain Range countries where our last stop was Azerbaijan. Leaving there, we crossed the border into the Georgian town of Sighnaghi which sits at one of the historic crossroads of the old Silk Road. Sighnaghi is a quaint wine town of around 1,500 people in eastern Georgia.

Us in the wee wine town of Sighnaghi, in the Republic of Georgia

Georgia is a republic of around 3.7 m people bound by Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, the Black Sea and Russia. It is also the birthplace of wine and we were aiming to sample some in Sighnaghi. Then as we entered Georgia, we passed an incredibly long 5 km queue of trucks waiting to cross into Azerbaijan as sanctions against Russia prevent them from going there. Luckily, we were driving against the queueing traffic and soon arrived in Sighnaghi.

A winding, cobbled, and hilly street in Sighnaghi, Georgia

We stayed in a hotel in the centre of town and enjoyed many walks through Sighnaghi’s winding cobbled streets. Hemmed in by the Caucasus mountains, meant those streets were also hilly – tricky after a few wines! But we were keen to try the main wine types here of Rkatsiteli (a crisp white), Kakhuri Mtsvane (dry white), and Saperavi (a dry red), and were going to visit several winery restaurants that offered tastings, rather than do an organised wine tour.

Marg on a cobbled street of Sighnaghi, Georgia

So, on our first night in Sighnaghi we walked to a small winery for dinner. We ordered a traditional dish of chashushuli (beef stew), which intrigued the women in the kitchen – heads popped out with big smiles - apparently it is not usually ordered by tourists. While waiting for our meal we took a tour of the cellars, and were delighted to find that it was a winery that uses the traditional qvevri method of wine making.

Marg beside a disused qvevri, Sighnaghi, Georgia

A qvevri is a large oval-shaped, handless, earthenware container that is used to ferment wine instead of using an oak barrel. The wine is made from the grape’s juice, skins, stalks and pips, and poured into the qvevri which is then buried below ground or set into the floor of a wine cellar. It’s left for around 6-months before being opened and consumed. This age-old wine-making method is seen by UNESCO as an ‘intangible cultural heritage’, and widely used in Georgia.

Qvevri holes in cellar floor and locals (top). Our hotel and City Hall, Sighnaghi, Georgia

When paying for our chashushuli and wine, the winery wanted cash not a credit card. But using cash, we were 5 Georgian lari short (about NZ$3). The owners graciously dismissed the 5 lari, but we said we would return to pay it. We did go back the next day and they reluctantly accepted payment on condition that they served us a glass of wine. So we sat in their courtyard and were served a top-of-the range small glass of wine – love Georgians and their wine.

Two impressive gates and the town wall of Sighnaghi, Georgia

Sighnaghi village is enclosed by a thick stone wall with 23 towers and 6 gates, so the next morning, we caught a little electric car up into the hills for a better view of them. When we reached the hill top, we walked briefly along the wall ramparts, and could see the ancient wall running along the hills in the distance making us think of the Great Wall of China - but on a smaller scale.

David Gareja monastery (caves on right), Mount Gareja, Georgia

While in Sighnaghi, we visited the David Gareja monastery, a 6th century Georgian Orthodox monastery consisting of cells, churches, chapels, and living quarters hollowed out of rock. After admiring the lower levels of the monastery, we climbed up a steep slope to get to a large cave. But before we got there, we came across two border guards with guns. The monastery sits on the Georgia-Azerbaijan border and there is a running dispute about which country owns it; hence the guards – we didn’t go further.

Churchkhela at top and below is shoti bread through the shop window, Georgia

To get to the monastery we paid our hotel manager to drive us on the 3-hour round trip. He was wonderful – he stopped on the return journey at a roadside place that makes churchkhela, a traditional Georgian sweet made of nuts threaded together and cooked in coloured flour-thickened grape juice. We sampled and enjoyed a few. Next door, he showed us how Georgian shoti bread was made in a tone oven (like a tandoor). The bread comes out long and curved. We bought a loaf and it was delicious.

Entrance to the restaurant for our last night in Sighnaghi, Georgia

On our last evening in Sighnaghi, after eating traditional food and tasting wine at several wineries, we visited a local rooftop restaurant for some simple food and a beer. We had a great table overlooking the village and plains below. On the way home, we stopped at a local park that has a cocktail bar, and had a drink sitting in the park, happily watching the locals singing along to a guy playing the piano. What a lovely evening.

 

The Centre of Telavi, Georgia

Leaving Sighnaghi, we wanted to get to Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, with a stop on the way at Telavi, another historic wine town. But we somehow had to manage our luggage while we looked around there. So our lovely Sighnaghi hotel manager arranged for us to leave it with a friendly hotel located above Telavi. When we arrived in Telavi, they not only stored our luggage, but also arranged a taxi for us to go down into the town centre.

Fortress Batonis Tsikhe, Telavi, Georgia

Once in the Telavi town centre we saw some interesting sights. As well as wine, Telavi has the historic Fortress Batonis Tsikhe. It was built in the 17th century and is surrounded by a fortified wall. Inside there is a Persian-style palace, historic churches, and a museum. Out the front is a huge and impressive statue of King Irakli II on horseback. He was Georgia’s most famous king and he was born and died in Telavi in the 1700s.

Architecture and 900-year-old tree in Telavi, Georgia

After visiting the fortress, we walked around the town for a few hours seeing eclectic architecture. It was very interesting. We also saw Telavi’s 900-year-old sycamore tree. It’s huge, at 45 meters high and 12.4 meters around the trunk. After that we had a nice lunch at one of Telavi’s modern outdoor restaurants, before walking further.

Marg and friends in Telavi, Georgia

Next, we wandered through the ‘old town’ of Telavi making friends with the locals on the way. The old town is full of medieval delights, but the day was extraordinarily hot. So after a short time we called it quits and found a taxi to take us back up to the hotel where we collected our luggage. Then the hotel helped organise another taxi for us, this time to Tbilisi – wonderful people. An hour and a half later, we were settling into our Tbilisi hotel.

Vibrant and interesting Tbilisi, Georgia

Tbilisi was founded in the 5th century on the ancient Silk Road, along on the banks of the Kura River. It is now the capital and the largest city of Georgia, with a population of around 1.5 million. The city is known for its eclectic architecture that includes medieval, art nouveau, Stalinist and modernist buildings, and after we settled into our hotel in the centre of old Tbilisi, we went for a walk to check it out.

Derelict and Bohemian-style buildings in Old Town Tbilisi (UNESCO), Georgia

Tbilisi has been the capital of Georgia for 15 centuries so has seen many rebuilds and renovations. But its narrow winding streets still show its medieval roots, making it a UNESCO World Heritage town. Unfortunately, many of its beautiful buildings seem to be run down, and as we walked around, we were disenchanted by the derelict look of some, but cheered by the Bohemian make-over of others. This town sure has character.

St. David's Church and Pantheon, Tbilisi, Georgia

That night, we had a meal at a dark basement-restaurant at the recommendation of our hotel. Arriving, we scanned the room, finding that we were by far the oldest people there – but the meal was good. The next morning, we walked up a long, incredibly steep hill to see St. David's Church and Pantheon perched at the top. The church is lovely, and so is the garden beside it which is full of statues and artistic headstones as its the burial place of some of Georgia’s most prominent artists and writers.

Narikala Fortress on the hill with St. George Cathedral in the foreground, Tbilisi, Georgia

One of Tbilisi’s main sights is the Narikala Fortress that sits atop Narikala Hill. We took the cable car up there and enjoyed wonderful views from the top. Later, we walked back down the zig-zaggy steep steps into the city, passing a few churches and interesting things on the way. Then we visited some of Tbilisi’s inner-city neighbourhoods seeing charming old townhouses, art nouveau buildings, and high-end shops and restaurants. What a vibrant city.

(Top) State Opera House, Parliament Bldg. (Below) Bank of Georgia, Bridge of Peace, Tbilisi, Georgia

We also enjoyed the eclectic architecture in the rest of Tbilisi, particularly the Moorish architectural style of the State Opera House built in 1847, the Stalinist architecture of the Georgian Parliament building, the blocky architecture of the Bank of Georgia Headquarters, and the modern 2010 curved Bridge of Peace which links the two parts of Tbilisi right at the point where camels travelling along the Silk Road crossed the river.

Balconies in Tbilisi, Georgia

We especially loved Tbilisi’s balconies, even the rickety ones in the Old Town. Almost every building has a balcony of some sort, either open or closed-in or with intricate ironwork or plain wood. There didn’t seem to be a common style to the balconies as each was slightly different in design. The balconies here really add to character of this exciting city.

Lanes of Old Town Tbilisi (UNESCO), Georgia

Over the next few days, we walked a lot and saw a lot, both in the Old Town and beyond it. Getting from main street to main street, we often used the back lanes as shortcuts as the locals do, and we always felt safe even at night. One night after walking through a lane to the next main street, we found an interesting restaurant. We had a fabulous traditional Georgian meal there, and were entertained by a small band of musicians playing Georgian music with traditional instruments. It was wonderful.

Scenery along the Military Road, Georgia

While in Tbilisi, we took a trip to Kazbergi/Stepantsminda, about 158 km north of Tbilisi in the Caucasus Mountains, at one of the oldest crossroads between Europe and Asia. To get there, we travelled the ‘Military Road’, the only road that connects Russia with Georgia. This road gained notoriety during Georgia’s Soviet days before its independence in 1991. These days, it is said to be the most scenic road in the country, so we stopped at many sights along the way. 

Jvari Monastery (UNESCO), Mtskheta, Georgia

Our first stop was the Jvari Monastery, one of Georgia’s most iconic monasteries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It stands like a sentinel, alone at the top of a hill overlooking the historic town of Mtskheta, and can be seen from a huge distance. Inside the monastery we saw some amazing stone carvings. Leaving there, we headed to Zhinvali Reservoir, a man-made lake created for water storage and hydroelectricity.

Ananuri Fortress, Dusheti, Georgia

Further along the lake, we stopped at the Ananuri Fortress which dates back to the 13th century. Behind the fortresses thick walls are two castles, two towers, and two churches and it was great fun to explore. Not long after that, we stopped for lunch and were served traditional soup and ‘khinkali’ (dumplings). Unfortunately, the restaurant was so busy that our meal was cold by the time it reached us. While we waited, we were entertained by two gay Indian guys who chatted to us about life in India – they were great fun.

Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument, Devil’s Valley, Georgia

After lunch, we stopped at the Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument which is perched on an outcrop overlooking the mountains and valley below, then the Pansheti Stone Towers which are tall stone houses dating back to the 17th century. They served as a refuge for villages to shelter in during invasions. Then we finally reached Kazbergi/Stepantsminda, around 10 km from the Russian border in northeastern Georgia, at the base of Mt Kazbek – it is home to the 14th century Gergeti Trinity Church.

Gergeti Trinity Church, Kazbergi/Stepantsminda, Georgia

Unfortunately it had begun to rain by this time, and we needed to hire a separate 4x4 vehicle to get up to the church. However, our spirits were not dampened as this church is so quaint. Later, after returning to Tbilisi we prepared to move on. We’ve loved being in Tbilisi, and its broken footpaths, interesting architecture, doggie doo, plethora of cafes, and tangible vibe, reminded us of Paris 20 years ago. Next, we go to other parts of Georgia, but you can read about that in the next blog.

This blog is one in a series about our travels along the Silk Road of Central Asia.