Top Things To See

• Enjoy the Mediterranean atmosphere of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, which stands on the banks of the River Mtkvari, in a valley surrounded by hills. The name for the city derives from the word tbili (warm). It is best seen from the top of Mount Mtatsminda.
• The old city in Tbilisi, spreading out from the south bank of the river, has numerous frescoed churches (the most noteworthy being the fifth century Sioni Cathedral), 19th-century houses with arcaded open galleries on the upper floors, a castle and a surprising number of cafes and enticing tourist shops selling locally produced arts and crafts.
• Prospekt Rustaveli, Tbilisi's main thoroughfare, features an assortment of stylish public buildings testifying to the city's prosperity at the turn of the century.
• Spend some time at the Georgian State Museum on Prospekt Rustaveli in Tbilisi, which houses a collection of icons, frescoes and porcelain, as well as an outstanding display of jewellery discovered in pre-Christian Georgian tombs. The Georgian Museum of Arts, in the centre of town, includes many works by the much-loved 19th-century 'primitive' artist, Niko Pirosmani. The open-air Museum of Ethnography, located in a western suburb, has interesting examples of rural buildings and artefacts.
• Enjoy nice views of the old part of Tbilisi from the Narikala Fortress, first established by the Persians in the fourth century AD and most recently rebuilt in the 17th century.
• Head for Mtskheta, today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which remained the centre of Georgian Christianity until the 12th century. The 15th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Pillar of Life), standing at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, was the holiest place in old Georgia. According to legend, the church is built on the spot where Christ's crucifixion robe was dropped to the ground in AD 328, having been brought from Jerusalem by a local Jew, and fragments of the robe are said to be kept inside the cathedral. The existing church has some impressive royal tombs, a fine icon stand and distinctive carved decoration, including bulls' heads and semi-pagan fertility symbols.
• Also of interest in Mtskheta are the Samtavro Monastery (still functioning although founded in the 11th century, it is famous as the burial place for the first Christian king, Mirian and his wife Nana) and the sixth-century Jvari Cathedral, the design of which became a prototype for Georgian ecclesiastical architecture.
• The remote village of Shatili is an outstanding monument of Georgian construction art, located on the main Caucasus ridge; towers are clustered together to create a single fortress.
• Follow the Georgian Military Highway. Leading 220km (137 miles) from Tbilisi to Vladikavkaz (formerly Ordzhonikidze) in North Ossetia (now part of the Russian Federation), this route was built by the Russians in the 19th century to help them control their conquered Georgian territories. The road winds through the dramatic mountain scenery of the high Caucasus, apparently little changed since the 19th-century novelist Lermontov described the route in A Hero of our Time. Sites of interest along the road include the 14th-century Sameba Church (Holy Trinity), overlooking the mountain town of Kazbegi, and the city of Mtskheta (see above). The ski resort of Gudauri is situated along the highway.
• Some 10km (6 miles) east of Gori is Uplistsikhe (Fortress of God), a large complex of natural caves. Inhabited from the sixth century BC to the 14th century AD, the caves were gradually transformed into increasingly sophisticated dwellings, shops and public buildings, including the most ancient theatre in Georgia, dungeons and enormous wine cellars.
• Discover the Ateni Sioni Church, 10km (6 miles) south of Gori, which stands in a beautiful setting and is highly prized for its 11th-century stonecarvings and frescoes.
• 10km (6 miles) from Bakuriani, heading towards Bordzhomi, is the 12th-century Daba Monastery, and nearby a 60m (197ft) waterfall. During the summer it is also possible to visit Lake Tabatskuri, sunk into a hollow high in the mountains.
• Of Georgia's many spectacular cultural monuments, the following were declared UNESCO World Heritage sites: in 1994, the old Georgian capital of Mtskheta, including Jvari Monastery, Svetiskhoveli Cathedral and the Samtavro Monastery Complex; the same year, the Gelati Monastery and Bagrati Cathedral in Kutaisi and in 1996, the architecturally unique Svanetian village of Ushguli, an exceptional example of mountain scenery with medieval houses and stone defence towers.
• Discover the Turkish character of Batumi, the capital of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic. The mosque, 19th-century bath house, Ajarian Museum (with its superb national costume collection), circus, park, Botanical Garden and the theatre are well worth visiting.