DISCOVERING KAKHETI

Apart from Türkiye, Georgia has been the most popular destination for Azerbaijani tourists for the last 20-30 years. But compared to Türkiye, the land crossing between Azerbaijan and Georgia has always been very convenient for inexpensive travelling. Border residents of both countries cross the border every day to visit their relatives, while shuttle traders engage in trade. Previously, many Azerbaijanis would take a night train to Tbilisi to arrive there in the morning, while others travelled by bus and car to hospitable Sakartvelo in just a few hours.

However, after the pandemic the land borders remain temporarily closed. But thanks to the increased air traffic (there are at least 4 flights daily) many tourists have the opportunity to visit the familiar and native country. And there is a lot to see: the capital city of Tbilisi with its sulphur baths, Borjomi with its mineral water, Batumi with its sea resorts, Bakuriani or Gudauri with their ski facilities. There are also many other places popular among the tourists, including Kobuleti, Kvariati, Tsikhisdziri, Anaklia, Chakvi, Stepantsminda... And also Kakheti, formerly an independent kingdom and now an administrative region with its capital in the city of Telavi.

Near and far Kakheti

The first things that come to mind about Kakheti are vineyards, wine tastings, monasteries and fortresses. Until a few decades ago, the region was considered a periphery, a kind of Georgian Siberia and a region forgotten by the world. Kakheti has long been known as the breadbasket for all of Georgia thanks to wheat, sunflower oil, fruits and vegetables, as well as wine taken from there to other regions of the country. That's why all the itineraries of tourist trips to Kakheti always include a few culinary items. It is interesting that most of the famous Georgian wineries are located there, too.

There is a lot of interesting things in Kakheti for tourists. Firstly, Tusheti is one of the most remote and inaccessible regions of Georgia. It is cut off from other regions by high mountains and passes. It still preserves the ancient fortresses, traditions and that special primordiality that tourists are always looking for here. The Pankisi Gorge well-known for being a subject of the infamous political crisis back in the early 2000s is also located there. And one can find mud volcanoes in Gurjaani, which is not far from Baku. They are located in the Akhtala Park, which also attracts quite a few tourists and geology fans. Among the famous natural sights we can also mention Shirak Steppe, Lagodekhi Mountain National Park and Vashlovani Steppe National Park, as well as a wild untrodden forest in the northern part of the region. But the most interesting thing is that there are many undiscovered and small architectural and religious buildings scattered in these remote forests and gorges.

Kakheti also attracts tourists with more than 30 temples and monasteries of historical significance. Thus, there are two temples dating back to the 4th century CE and two temples of the 6th century CE (Dzveli Gavazi and Ninotsminda Cathedral). But the most famous and revered monasteries in this region are the David-Gareji complex (on the Georgian-Azerbaijani border), Alaverdi and Ikalto Monastery.

Kakheti is also famous for its nine fortresses and castles: royal palace in Telavi, the castles of Gremi and Hornabuji, the Kvareli Fortress, the fortress city of Kvetera, Ujarma. Signakhi and others. There are also 9 ethnographic museums in the region: in Gavazi, Sighnakhi, Gurjaani, Akhmeta, Dedoplistskaro, Lagodekhi, Sagarejo, Telavi and Vachnadziani. There are also 13 house-museums of famous personalities and about 10 national parks. There are even trendy resorts on lakes - Lopota and Kvarelia. In addition, every year, around September, Kakheti hosts the Rtveli Grape Harvest Festival, where tourists are encouraged to participate in making wine literally with their own hands and feet. Plus there are wine spas, horse riding, helicopter tours, balloon flights...

So obviously a week is not enough for even a cursory tour of the main sights. However, over the last ten years, much has changed there, with new wineries, shops, upmarket restaurants and top hotels.

Gorgeous landscapes

Kakheti is about 1.5-2 hours drive (100 km) from the Tbilisi International Airport. There are quite a few hotels functioning there for budget-, local- and international-class tourists. On average, the cost of accommodation in a typical three-star hotel will cost you 40-70 euros per night for two people with breakfast.  In a four-star hotel, prices can vary between 70-120 euros, and five-star hotels are correspondingly higher in price.

For a high-end hotel, many people prefer the Tsinandali Estate, A Radisson Collection Hotel. It is located in the village of Tsinandali, right in the heart of the region, surrounded by picturesque scenery. After all, the hotel has many advantages. Firstly, it is located in the historical estate of the Chavchavadze princes surrounded by a giant ancient park. Also, you will be able to visit local vineyards and learn about the rich history of these places. Next, you will definitely enjoy the unique panoramic swimming pool overlooking the Caucasus Mountains on the roof of the hotel. There are also various restaurants providing local and international meals, spa, conference halls for business meetings, impressive open-air amphitheatre for 1,200 people to hold significant events, concerts and luxurious weddings. Plus, every autumn the location hosts various international music festivals. Many fans of music from Georgia and abroad visit the area to attend magnificent classical music concerts with the participation of world stars from Europe and Asia. The 2023 Tsinandali Festival took place on August 31-September 10 and featured orchestral and chamber music concerts, as well as solo concerts with top international performers. Interestingly, the festival is opened every year by the Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra, which includes 80 gifted young musicians from six countries of the region (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, Ukraine, Armenia and Kazakhstan).

Very soon, lovers of relaxed premium holidays will be able to holiday here in luxury villas ideal for families and groups of friends.

Finally, the connoisseurs of wine and wine lovers will appreciate the wine tours and tastings organised in the Gaumarjos Hall, where they can learn about the secrets of traditional Georgian winemaking and taste the best samples. The hotel is actually surrounded by 40 hectares of vineyards.

Symbolic manor house

While in Tsinandali, make sure to visit the house-museum of Alexander Chavchavadze, the founder of Georgian romanticism. The estate of the princely Chavchavadze family is well known throughout Georgia, because this place is symbolic in many ways. Alexander Chavchavadze inherited the estate from his father and turned it into a cultural and intellectual centre of Georgia. This is the place where Europeanisation of Georgia began, where Georgian winemaking as we know it today and many other things began. The house hosted the Russian poet Lermontov and witnessed Griboyedov's confessed to Nina Chavchavadze. There are rumours that Pushkin visited the estate too.

After two centuries, the manor still plays a significant role in the cultural life of Georgia, being a venue for various exhibitions, concerts, literary events and master classes.

Today the Tsinandali complex combines a house-museum, an ornamental garden, a historical winery, a cellar, a hotel and a cafe. The vineyards and wine production have been revived and upgraded for your enjoyment: learn about the history of one of the most important families of Georgia, enjoy the beauty of the ornamental garden, visit the wine cellar, taste Georgian wines, and at the end of a busy day relax in the historic hotel.

The building itself contrasts the canons of Georgian architecture. Many believe the style of the manor is yet another tribute to the Italian Renaissance, despite numerous oriental elements. The house contains household items and furniture of the second half of the 19th century, and a rich collection of weapons hanging on the walls. In the living rooms, there is the first grand piano in the country played by the wife and daughters of the owner, as well as the first piano in Georgia. The carpet decorated by them is still as beautiful and bright. The portrait of Imam Shamil painted by Anna Chavchavadze is hanging on the wall as well. There are even Azerbaijani carpets in the house.

Silk Road Group has been patronising the Tsinandali complex since 2008. The company has invested more than $12m so far. Thanks to Silk Road Group, more than 100 existing exhibits have been restored, and the museum added more than 500 items to its rich collection.

Around the house is a huge and beautiful park with perennial trees covering a total area of more than 15 hectares. The garden is unique in terms of its layout and exotic plant species. Initially it had fruit trees, paths, alleys for walking and vineyards, as well as oaks, lindens and maples. Alexander Chavchavadze arranged an underground irrigation system in the garden, enriched the garden with trees, plants and flowers, and invited European decorators to plan the garden. Today there are 1500 trees, 40 of them being unique species and 200 years old.

The Tsinandali Park is also interesting because you can visit the Alley of Love. As the legend goes, if a couple can walk down this alley with their eyes closed, they will enjoy happy love together. You can also tie multicoloured ribbons on the wishing tree and make a wish while strolling through the garden.

Wine birthplace

For many, Georgia is the birthplace of wine. In fact, the history of Georgian winemaking goes back more than 8,000 years. Here you can find archaeological remains of clay vessels, or kveris, used to store the juice of wild grapes.

The Tsinandali estate is the place where classic Georgian winemaking was born. This is where Georgian wine was first bottled. Tsinandali enoteca stores Saperavi from 1841 and other historical vintages of the 19th century. Alexander Chavchavadze's wine collection contains more than 16,500 bottles. The collection starts from 1814 and includes such legendary wines of the 19th century as Tsinandali, Saperavi, Chateau Lafite, Chateau Ikem and so on.

The Tsinandali estate continues the 8,000-years-old traditions of Georgian winemaking and creates and introduces new standards of modern approach. Today classical European and traditional Georgian winemaking co-exist here. Recently, part of the vineyards has been made ready for the production of organic wines amid the growing demand for them.

The Tsinandali vineyards grow 19 varieties of Georgian grapes. All these products are used to produce wine created exclusively under the brand-name Tsinandali. They are stored in special oak barrels brought from France. Each such barrel can be used to store wine no more than three times. The barrels are then used to produce local chacha of the highest quality with a balance of flavour and transparency.