A 6th-century cave monastery in a limestone gorge, ancient Mtskheta, Gori and the rock-cut town of Uplistsikhe.
Shio-Mgvime Monastery (“the cave of Shio”) is hidden in a narrow limestone gorge a few kilometres from Mtskheta. It was founded in the 6th century by the monk Shio, one of the thirteen Syrian Fathers who preached Christianity in Georgia. The monastery is still active today.
Mtskheta is the ancient capital of Georgia at the confluence of the Aragvi and Kura rivers, founded in the second half of the 1st millennium BC. It is the spiritual heart of the country, often called the “second Jerusalem”, and its monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 6th-century Jvari Monastery stands on a cliff edge with a panoramic view of the town and the meeting of the rivers.
Gori is home to the best-known museum in Georgia — the Joseph Stalin Museum: the house where he was born, his personal railway carriage and the main building in Stalinist Empire style.
Uplistsikhe, the “Fortress of God”, is a cave town on the bank of the Kura near Gori. Its history goes back to the 2nd millennium BC: the hillside is carved with man-made caves that preserve dwellings, halls and temples from several eras.
Zhinvali reservoir → Ananuri fortress → Friendship Monument → Stepantsminda → Gergeti monastery
Holy Trinity Cathedral → Metekhi district → Narikala fortress → Bridge of Peace
Bodbe Monastery → Sighnaghi → Sighnaghi fortress → Chavchavadze estate in Tsinandali → Telavi
