Near the town of Stepanavan, on a promontory between the gorges of the Dzoragets and Miskhana Rivers, is a ruined fortress with huge towers and massive stone blocks along its exposed side. Originally the base of David Anhogin, who ruled the region of Tashir-Dzoraget from 989 to 1048, it...
It was not easy to drive from Sanahin to Odzun. We arrived there late, so we decided to overnight on the cliff before the village. In the morning, we bought locally made bread, and then we visited St Astvatsatsin Church. It was built on the site where legend tells us St Thomas buried...
Sanahin is another famous monastery listed by UNESCO, packed with ancient graves, darkened chapels, and medieval study halls. The inner sanctum of the cross-shaped Surp Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God Church) is the oldest structure, dating back to 934. Its adjoining gavit was built in...
Our first stop in Armenia was a beautiful monastery occupying a commanding position overlooking the Debed gorge. Founded around 976 by Queen Khosrvanuch, who funded the construction of the domed Church of the Holy Cross (Surp Nishan) at the center of the complex, it saw a building boom in...
Today we got bad news; our permit to cross borders to Azerbaijan was not granted. So we took the 65+kilometer forest highway through the Gombori Ridge separating Alazani and Iori River valleys through Gombori Pass (1620 m) towards the Armenian border. We were so happy that we got sunny...
We did overnight next to the monastery, beautifully situated uphill in a cypress grove. It was one of two famous medieval Georgian Neoplatonist academies, the other being Gelati near Kutaisi. Shota Rustaveli, the national poet, is thought to have studied here. The main Transfiguration...
Telavi, the largest town in Kakheti, is a popular base for exploring the region’s viticultural, historical and architectural riches. It is set in the vineyard-strewn Alazani valley, between the Gombori Mountains and the Great Caucasus. We have parked next to the Batonistsikhe...
The village of Tsinandali was somehow so depressive that we took a walk around to take some photos of our favorite old soviet trucks. The bulk of the automotive industry of the Soviet Union, with annual production approaching 1.8 million units, was located in the Russian SFSR, except ZAZ...
In Tsinandali is located the palace and gardens of prince Alexander Chavchavadze (1786–1846) – one of the most colorful and influential characters in Georgian history. The palace (🎫 10 GEL) tour took us to half a dozen rooms restored in 19th-century style and related exciting episodes...
Due to weather conditions, we couldn’t enjoy Nekresi’s early Georgian architecture and the views across the Alazani valley. We parked in the main parking, 1,5km from the monastery. From there, we took a shuttle (🚐 3 GEL/return) to reach the top of the steep mountain. The first church is a...