Hidden gems of Kartli: six day trips to take from Tbilisi this summer

For many visitors to Georgia, trips to tourist staples such as Sighnaghi, Ananuri, Kazbegi, and Batumi are enough to make them fall in love. But Georgia has so much more to offer than these first impressions: every region’s unique combination of biodiversity and cultural heritage provides a completely different experience and perspective of this charmingly diverse country.

One region that is undeservedly neglected by many visitors is Kartli, commonly divided as Shida (Inner) Kartli and Kvemo (Lower) Kartli. Just a short drive to the west and south of Tbilisi, Kartli is the historical heartland of Georgia and is exceedingly rich in cultural monuments, while the low ridges of the Trialeti Range (a subrange of the Lower Caucasus) cutting across it provide it with incredible scenery and natural habitats. It is well worth the trip for anyone looking to get to know Georgia better and expand their experience past the first tier of touristic destinations, to get onto the back roads of Kartli, explore its impressive historical monuments, and wander in its scenic natural areas. These six itineraries are just a sample of the fascinating places one can encounter while exploring Kartli.

Manglisi and Algeti National Park

Manglisi is a sleepy resort town at the eastern edge of the Algeti National Park, and boasts (besides some beautifully intricate woodwork on some of its old houses) one of the oldest churches in Georgia, Manglisi Sioni, complete with a prehistoric stone circle on the hill behind it. The Algeti Valley itself is a Tolkienesque landscape of low ridges, lush forests, clear rivers, and green pastures, dotted in between with idyllic villages and ancient shrines to the local spirits (adgilis dedebi). It is one of the finest places in all of Georgia for easy to moderate hiking, with the possibility for amazing views without too punishing of an ascent. Pack a good lunch and start from the cathedral; a decent off-road vehicle can get you to some of the trailheads deeper in the park. Easy loop trails include routes through the pastures above Shekvetila village, and coming back along the main road by the Algeti River, or a circle between the villages of Didi and Patara Namtvriani. If the daytrip is extended to include one night of camping in some placid recess of the valley, it will be possible to reach the stunning Kldekari (“cliff-door”) fortress on one of the peaks of the furthest ridge of the protected area, the historical guardian of a major pass between Shida and Kvemo Kartli.

Tedzami Valley

The Tedzami valley is home to medieval churches and fortresses along it are some of the most spectacular in all of Georgia. The valley begins just over an hour away from Tbilisi, plenty close enough to make a relaxing day trip in a beautiful, hardly visited natural area. From the village of Akhalkalaki (in Kaspi region, not to be confused with the city of Akhalkalaki in Javakheti), follow the road up to Ertatsminda, where a 13th-century cathedral with impressive carved ornaments stands proudly. From there, the road becomes unpaved, but it’s just bumpy; a sedan car can pass it easily. The road winds up and down through hills and forests until it reaches the village of Rkoni, where a short walk will bring you to a spectacular medieval monastery complex and one of the largest surviving medieval stone arched bridges in Georgia. It’s easy to get lost in the contemplative beauty of the riverside here, but it’s worth it, when you get back to Rkoni village, to hike the two kilometers up the hill to the Ikvi St. George, whose interior walls preserve incredible, unique frescoes colored with local pigments. If you have a decent off-road vehicle, you can also visit the Drisi fortress on your way back to Ertatsminda – a spectacular, starkly towering ruin built out of a sheer cliff.

Khovle and Saorbisi

Once you’ve visited Tedzami Valley, you may be taken with curiosity about a certain mysterious structure, visible at some points standing in the far distance on the ridge to the west. This is the ruins of Saorbisi church, one of the best-kept secrets in east Georgia. To get there, you need to follow a jeep trail from the village of Khovle. Khovle itself is a charming place with a rich history, including many old chapels, towers, and a brick aqueduct of which there is no analogue anywhere in Georgia. After a moderate ascent, the trail reaches a large, green open space, the pasturelands of the last few villages clinging to existence in this isolated corner of the Trialeti range. From here, it’s time for some gentle hiking; head down the hill slowly to the village of Pitsesi and find the trail leading up to the promontory that the church sits on. Here, one feels like they have entered some kind of fairy world or parallel existence with lush meadows. From the church, a spectacular panorama opens up over the entire Tedzami Valley and the rolling, forested ridges that surround it. With an easy pace and a good picnic, Saorbisi makes a spectacular day trip, but those who become intrigued with this mystical landscape can always explore further – there are jeep trails and footpaths leading deeper into the mountains, past even more remote villages, forgotten shrines and sanctuaries, and panoramic views.

Ateni Valley

Ateni Valley is located just to the south of Gori, running up along the Tana River from Khidistavi village. Steep, jagged slopes cut up and down on both sides of the winding river, revealing sharply tilted geological layers in the places it’s too steep for forest to grow. The jewel of the valley is definitely Ateni Sioni, an exquisite 7th-century church whose remarkable architecture stands in perfect harmony with its beautiful natural setting. The church preserves a superbly frescoed interior and several unique stone carvings in its exterior decorations. After Sioni, the road isn’t paved anymore but is still passable with a sedan car; by bumping along, one can reach a short trekking pathway to the Biisi waterfalls or simply some peaceful spot by the Tana River. With the help of a very good jeep or else after a short but very steep hike from Sioni, it’s possible to reach the summit of the Danakhvisi mountain, whose triangular shape dominates the horizon of the entire Gori region. As one of the most prominent peaks in this part of the Trialeti range, it will reward the effort of its ascent with one of the best views in Eastern Georgia. Ateni Valley is also renowned for its viticulture. The rugged, rocky mountains which hold it close provide a unique microclimate for some of the less well-known Kartlian grape varieties, and a visit to a local winemaker can make a delightful culmination to the trip.

Samshvilde Canyon

Samshvilde, although one of the most impressive sites in Georgia, is very rarely visited by tourists. Here, fascinating layers of history from the Neolithic Era through the Middle Ages combine with a stunning natural setting on a peninsula of rock between two vast canyons. Ongoing archaeological studies have uncovered evidence of Samshvilde’s inhabitation going back at least six thousand years. By the medieval period, it was one of the most important towns in Georgia, containing a large fortress to further strengthen its strategic position, as well as numerous churches. Although the site has been ruined for hundreds of years already, many significant architectural relics remain, including the fortress, the ruins of the grand cathedral, carved stone figures of horses and sheep, and even prehistoric sacred standing stones. It’s an incredible feeling to wander in Samshvilde’s overgrown streets and pathways and imagine the place full of life and activity. For those who enjoy hiking, a recently cleared and marked loop trail takes you from the old city to the bottom of the canyon (enjoying fantastic views along the way), past even more ruined monasteries, and back up through the thick forests. A jeep may be necessary if one wants to drive all the way to the gates of the Samshvilde protected area, but otherwise a regular sedan can easily access the nearby Samshvilde village a short walk away.

Megalithic Heritage of Tsalka Region

The Tsalka plateau, on the far western side of Kvemo Kartli, is one of the oldest inhabited regions of Georgia, and the Neolithic cultures which lived here left plenty behind. Here, with the help of a solid jeep or a local guide, the intrepid traveler can visit standing stones that have been venerated for millennia, mystical stone circles, ancient petroglyphs, and sprawling cyclopean complexes of fortresses and cities long lost to history. The largest reservoir in Georgia, built in 1946, occupies the center of the plateau and has covered up even more historical monuments, but it provides a scenic backdrop to an extensive jeep tour of the isolated villages dotting the plateau; aside from the deep canyons occasionally cutting through, the wide expanse provides magnificent panoramic views from nearly every point. In Tejisi, a monumental prehistoric menhir stands inside a Christian church that was built around it; the Azeri Muslim inhabitants of the village continue to venerate it. Outside the church, a massive stone circle stands on a hill. Other impressive menhirs stand in Cholmani and Akhalsopeli, while megalithic fortresses can be viewed and clambered through in Avranlo, Gokhnari, Akhalsheni and Beshtasheni. That’s to say nothing of the prehistoric inscriptions in Gantiadi, the countless ancient chapels scattered about through the villages, or even the old German settlement at Trialeti. To visit this area is to feel that one has stepped back in time, to a place where one can directly touch and interact with the spirits of the past.

Timothy Merkel is a tour guide, musician, and activist residing in Tbilisi. His tourism website can be accessed at timothystours.ge