The small town of Sighnaghi (Georgia) with a population of just over two thousand people will not leave any traveler indifferent. This is such a picturesque area that it evokes only delight, admiration and a desire to forever admire the splendor of nature and the creations of human hands.

Bodbe Monastery

The city of Sighnaghi (Georgia) is located high in the mountains, in the Alazani Valley. Its construction is attributed to the reign of Heraclius II, that is, to the eighteenth century.

Travelers will certainly be happy to visit Orthodox shrines. It is located two kilometers from the city convent Bodbe, built in the fourth century. It was built on the site of the grave that preached. She converted the then reigning king Mirian and his wife Nana, as well as many other residents, to the Christian faith. Therefore, Georgia is rightfully considered a country that was one of the first in the world to adopt Christianity. The monastery was founded by King Mirian. And several centuries later, in 1617, a school was opened under him.

It was one of the best educational institutions of those times, where there was a rich library. Unfortunately, with the advent of Soviet power, the monastery was closed. But, fortunately, it did not suffer the fate of many of the most magnificent ancient churches barbarously destroyed during the years of communist rule. And in 1995, the monastery reopened its doors.

Church of St. George

What should those who come to Sighnaghi (Georgia) see? Another Orthodox shrine is the Church of St. George. Local residents call it SurbGevorg. Initially, this church belonged to the Armenians who moved to this region by order of Irakli II. The stone temple is distinguished by its rugged beauty and durability. In the mid-nineteenth century, the cathedral was closed and gradually fell into disrepair. Only recently the ancient building was transferred to the Georgian Orthodox Church. Inside the temple there are not only icons, but also rare ancient books. They can be seen by those who visited Sighnaghi.

Georgia, Sighnaghi: attractions

The townspeople have the right to be proud of the perfectly preserved fortress. The construction of the most powerful citadel began during the reign of the legendary Queen Tamara, that is, in the twelfth century.

And the fortress was finally completed under King Irakli II in the eighteenth century. The grandiose structure covers an area of ​​forty hectares. To this day, the two-tier walls of the fortress impress with their strength. The majestic gates and twenty-eight watchtowers are especially well preserved. The stone fortress framed by lush greenery looks luxurious and impressive. There are no words to describe this greatest creation of human hands and human genius against the backdrop of amazing nature.

Like many settlements in Georgia, this town is famous for its wine products. Tourists should definitely visit the Sighnaghi wine cellar under the poetic name “Pheasant Tears”. In addition to tasting the finest varieties of wine, live music, and a hospitable feast, visitors will be treated to fascinating stories about the history of the creation of this or that life-giving and ancient drink.

Not far from Sighnaghi is the village of Mirzaani, where the twentieth century artist Nikolo Pirosmani was born. There is a museum dedicated to his life and work here. It contains paintings by the great master of painting, a prominent representative of such an artistic style as primitivism.

Particularly impressive is the portrait and painting dedicated to the grape harvest. The museum has an archaeological exhibition. In addition, exhibitions are constantly held here. About seven years ago, the country's first exhibition of works by Picasso was opened at the museum.

City Hall building

A magnificent example of architecture is the city hall building. The three-story building, built in the style of Italian classicism with elements of Georgian architecture, decorated with high arcades and a clock tower, is very beautiful and very original. Even ordinary ones look impressive, since they are beautifully executed openwork forgings. Built at the end of the twentieth century, the city hall building fits very organically into the architecture of the ancient town.

Park "9 April"

Those who come to Sighnaghi (Georgia) definitely need to take a photo in the city. Where is the best place to take good pictures? In the center of Sighnaghi there is the 9th of April Park. It is named after Georgian Independence Day, which is celebrated on this day. In addition to luxurious trees, picturesque shrubs, exquisite flowers, emerald grass, the park is unique for its purest and healing high-mountain air.

City of love

Are you looking for a city of love in Georgia? This is exactly what the locals call Sighnaghi. Perhaps because it’s impossible not to fall in love with this city. This is where famous Palace Marriages, the procedures in which are completely different from those that exist in others populated areas. A wide staircase surrounded by lanterns leads to a beautiful pinkish building with an open terrace and wide arches.

In this Wedding Palace you can get married at any time of the day, on any day. In addition, those wishing to marry will be married immediately, without any preliminary applications submitted several days in advance. This adds a unique charm to an already romantic event. Therefore, on the way to the unusual palace, you can often meet couples in love who have just completed the sacrament of marriage.

Sculptures

Separately, it is worth mentioning the many varied sculptures of the city of Sighnaghi. For example, a lady with a small child in her arms, an umbrella and a dog. Another interesting sculpture is a lanky doctor with an umbrella and a traveling bag riding on a donkey.

Conclusion

Now you know what is interesting about the town of Sighnaghi, Georgia. The attractions deserve the attention of every tourist. There are a lot of them in the city, so you need to think about your travel route.

- the most romantic and beautiful city in Kakheti, located 110 km east of Tbilisi. The town is very small and completely restored: ancient houses, cobbled streets and quiet, measured rural life - perfect place for a couple of lovers.

In this post: photos of Sighnaghi, attractions, our impressions of the city, as well as helpful information about hotels, restaurants, transport.

You can read about other sights of Georgia in

Little is known about the history of this settlement. Only that the city was built in the 18th century by King Irakli II as a refuge from Lezgin and Persian attacks. In 2005, large-scale restoration began in Sighnaghi, something is still being completed.

It is also called the city of love, and there are two versions why. First, there is a wedding palace here, where you can easily arrange a wedding without unnecessary hassle and documents. The second is a famous native of these places, the artist Pirosmani, who paved the road with red roses for his beloved. Remember Alla Pugacheva's song? It's just about this story. Be that as it may, the town is really very romantic.

The entire town is built on hills, and has a rather intricate network of streets winding through the mountains. From the top there are excellent views of the Alazani Valley, where the famous wines of Kakheti are produced.

Sights of Sighnaghi

What is worth seeing in Sighnaghi? We were here for only one day with an overnight stay - this time is enough to visit everything interesting places in District.

Fortress walls

The 4-kilometer fortress walls around the city still stand, there are 23 towers and 6 gates, you can take a nice walk among them.

Streets of Sighnaghi

Sighnaghi Museum

A modern museum with archaeological finds made on the territory of Kakheti and paintings by the artist Pirosmani, he was born in these places.

Entry fee: 3 lari

Working hours: 11:00 – 17:00, except Monday

Address: Rustaveli, 8

It is located very close to the city Bodbe Monastery.

It is definitely worth a 2 km walk along the mountain road from Sighnaghi. The monastery is located among tall cypress trees in a very cozy place, I really want to stay there longer. We sat on the parapet looking out over the valley for perhaps an hour.

The temple is dedicated to Saint Nino, who is buried here. If you go down the slope about 800 m, you can find a holy spring of water.

View of the Alazani Valley

Mirzaani village

The famous artist Pirosmani was born in Mirzaani, so fans of his work will be interested in visiting the artist’s homeland. You can also visit the museum there (entrance 3 GEL, from 10 to 17, except Mondays).

We expected that there would be more shops and shops in Sighnaghi, but in fact everything is quite modest, a few village shops and grandfathers selling wine and chacha. In general, the whole city, although very nice, looks as if it is artificial, made for show for tourists. Here you will not see genuine Georgian life; for this it is better to go to the surrounding villages. At the same time, the infrastructure in the town is not yet particularly developed.

Sights of Sighnaghi

In any case, it is definitely worth coming to Sighnaghi, especially if you are traveling around Kakheti - enjoy the views of the Alazani Valley and the surrounding hills, stroll along the streets, and visit the monasteries. But coming with a girlfriend or wife is generally a good thing!

Read also:

Hotels and guesthouses in Sighnaghi

There are a lot of housing options in Sighnaghi; even on weekends and holidays you will not be left without a roof over your head. The best option is to stay not in a hotel, but in a guest house, the so-called guesthouse - you will communicate with the owners, and it will be cheaper. There are options here from $10 per room in a simple house to $100 in luxury boutique hotels.

We stopped. The owner Vano is a very intelligent and pleasant person, he runs the local chess club. He immediately treated us to pears, figs and chacha. ;-) The house is simple, but with a cool large veranda overlooking the Alazani Valley. There are several tables and all kinds of pottery there.

Find more hotels in Sighnaghi:

Tbilisi Sighnaghi how to get there?

By public transport

To get to Sighnaghi from Tbilisi, go to Samgori bus station (near the metro station of the same name). From there, minibuses run several times a day to Sighnaghi, the cost is 6 GEL, and the journey takes 2 hours. At the very end of the road there will be a nice serpentine road that goes up the mountain towards the city.

From Sighnaghi you can go to Telavi - the minibus runs once a day at 09:15, the cost is 4 GEL, and the journey takes an hour and a half. There is also transport to Tsnori, which is down in the valley - minibuses run every hour every day, except weekends. The fare is 1 lari, the journey takes half an hour. And from Tsnori you can already leave for Lagodekhi and the Azerbaijani border.

It’s ideal to come by your own car or rent a taxi for a couple of days, because public transport in Kakheti is not constant and does not go everywhere.

(price 85-90 GEL one way for the whole car).

I continue to talk about my holiday in Georgia. Today the city of love is Sighnaghi.

There will be not only blah blah, but also useful information about hotels and guest houses in Sighnaghi, as well as what to see in the city of love.

I focused on how Katya and I harmlessly ate churchkhela and drank wine in the Nadikvari city park of Telavi (the capital of Kakheti), after which we returned home in the middle of the night, accompanied by several Georgian guys. Start at the link: .

A sullen owner greets us at the threshold. He looks like a wolf and doesn't even talk. What is the reason? We were visiting, didn’t do anything wrong, met the parents of our new friends, learned to dance. Once again I feel like a tomboy who got out of hand.

In my heart I am indignant, but I don’t show it. Why on earth is this complete stranger controlling our movements? Okay, the morning is wiser than the evening, so we go to bed. I dream that tomorrow I will finally see mountains covered with snow.

In the morning it turned out that Nona and Ilia (the owners of the house in Telavi where we rented a room) were very worried. Since we live in their house, we had to call and let them know who we were drinking coffee from.

Eh, it’s difficult for me to understand Georgian customs. I was so used to freedom and the complete absence of any control that it would never have occurred to me to call anyone with a report on my whereabouts.

This doesn't work in Georgia. For example, in Telavi everyone knows each other, calls each other and sees each other 15 times a day, which is why our hosts were so upset when Katyusha and I disappeared for several hours.

Well, the friendly atmosphere in the team has been restored, now you can think about leaving dear Telavi and finally heading to the mountains. We don’t have time to have breakfast when a message arrives from yesterday’s guys:

- Well, are we going to Kazbegi?

“We have already called a taxi and are going without you,” I answer and immediately imagine how I will have to drag myself with backpacks to Tbilisi, from there by metro to the station, and look for a minibus to Kazbegi. But it’s better than driving a car with strange strangers. A second later the answer comes:

- Meet me at the corner of your house in 10 minutes. Need to talk.

Okay, 10 minutes won’t solve anything, so let’s go to the meeting to say goodbye to the guys. It turns out that no one is going to say goodbye.

- Mila, let Gio and I take you to Kazbegi. We are in a car, driving close. You stay there and we'll go back tonight.
- Why do you need to take us?
— We still have nothing to do, especially since we have long wanted to see Kazbegi.

Hmm, it’s all somehow strange, but, on the other hand, the whole of Telavi already knows that we met these guys. It's unlikely that anything bad will happen. In general, good luck. Before leaving, we drink coffee with our athlete’s parents, load our things into the Toyota and drive to the mountains.

City of love Sighnaghi (aka Sighnaghi)

— Girls, have you been to Sighnaghi?
- No, what is it?
- What??? Have you been to Sighnaghi???? Gio, turn the car around, we're going to the city of love!

So, the first stop on the way is Sighnaghi. It is in the opposite direction from where we need to go to Kazbegi, but the guys decided that we cannot leave Kakheti without visiting Sighnaghi.

This small town located on the slope of a mountain in eastern Georgia. The buildings with red roofs are built in the style of houses in the south of Italy, so in Sighnaghi you may get the impression that you are not in Transcaucasia, but somewhere on the streets of Europe.

Nothing is known for certain about the history of the city, but the settlement can hardly be called ancient. Several years ago, the Georgian government invested a lot of money in the reconstruction and transformation of the town.

Apparently, not in vain, because these days Sighnaghi is almost the most popular attraction in the country, visited by a large number of tourists (especially Europeans). If you watched Love with an Accent, you may remember the legends associated with this city.

In the center of Sighnaghi there is a large fountain and a casino

What to see in Sighnaghi

The population is only about 2000 people. Among the attractions are the fortress walls, stretching for 4.5 km, and stunning views of the Alazani Valley.

During a tour of Sighnaghi, they usually visit the Bodbe Monastery, which is 2 km from the city. We didn't go there. There is also a Holy Spring in Sighnaghi. To get to it, you need to climb 600 steps down, and then back up the same 600 steps.

Why Sighnaghi is the city of Love

Oh yes, I forgot about the most important thing! Why is Sighnaghi called the city of love?

According to one version, this is due to the fact that the city has a registry office, which operates around the clock and allows everyone to be ringed without having to first submit documents.

The second version says that in Sighnaghi the famous artist Niko Pirosmani gave the actress Margarita a million roses, about which Alla Pugacheva sings.

Hotels and guest houses in Sighnaghi

Many travelers choose Sighnaghi as a base. They stay in the city for several nights and go on day tours to the sights of Kakheti.

We chose (the capital of Kakheti) as our “base”. From Telavi it ​​is more convenient to make a circle around the sights: Telavi - Alaverdi Monastery - Gremi Castle - Nekresi Fortress - Winery - Lake Lopota.

But from Sighnaghi it’s closer to get to national park Lagodekhi. Lake Kvareli, if you are interested in it, is located between Sighnaghi and Telavi.

Below are a selection of hotels and guest houses in Sighnaghi. I compiled them manually based on ratings and positive reviews of other people from forums and sites booking, tripadvisor, ostrovok, etc.

Hotels in Sighnaghi:

How to get to Sighnaghi from Tbilisi

Sighnaghi is located about 110 km east of Tbilisi. Minibuses depart from Tbilisi station to the metro station Samgori.

There are also minibuses from the metro Isani. They travel to Lagodekhi with a stop in Sighnaghi. Minibuses to Telavi also go from Isani.

You can get to Sighnaghi from Tbilisi in 13 lari (one way ticket).

The minibus runs every 2 hours from 7.00 to 18.00, the journey takes about 2 hours(110 km).

Minibus Sighnaghi - Telavi departs at 13.00, 16.00 and 18.00. In summer, all seats can be occupied, often people travel sitting and standing. Those who did not fit in are waiting for the next minibus.

A short video about our trip to Sighnaghi, Georgia:

We were in Sighnaghi for a short time. We walked along the streets, ate pizza in a pleasant cafe, looked at the Alazani Valley and continued on our way to the main destination - where the Gergeti Trinity Church stands near Mount Kazbek.

Sighnaghi from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about Sighnaghi.

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Accommodation

Many travelers choose Sighnaghi as a starting point for travel to the surrounding areas: they spend the night in the city and go on short tours to Kakheti attractions.

There is a wide choice of hotels in Sighnaghi - there are many simple and cozy two- and three-star hotels where you can spend the night for 30-50 GEL. Lovers of home comfort will appreciate guest houses for 20-60 GEL per day. There are also 5* hotels: the Kabadoni boutique hotel is located in the very heart of the city - on Solomon Dodashvili Square. Price - 200 GEL per day for a standard double room with breakfast.

What to bring

The most pleasant gift from Sighnaghi is a bottle of local wine. There are several private wineries in the city offering a delicious natural drink.

Perhaps the most popular wine store is Pheasant's Tears. This is one of the first commercial wineries in the Caucasus; the company’s drink is sold in stores throughout the country. Here, next to a cozy wine shop on Baratashvili Street, there is a small cafe where tastings are often held.

Another place worth visiting for connoisseurs of Georgian wine is Okros Wine. Here they sell traditional home-made wines: “Rkatsiteli”, “Saperavi”, “Mtsvane” and other varieties familiar to everyone. The store is located on Chavchavadze Street, near the Church of St. Stephen.

What to see

Sighnaghi is simply created for people to wander around, sit at tables with a glass of wine and think about the beautiful things. The houses, which from a distance resemble southern Italian ones, turn out to be absolutely Georgian up close: made of thin brick, with traditional carved wooden balconies.

The center of Sighnaghi is the park named after. April 9. On both sides there are two squares: Solomon Dodashvili, the famous Georgian philosopher of the 19th century, and David the Builder. There is a statue of the former in the park, and the names of the residents of Sighnaghi who died during the Great Patriotic War are carved on a nearby rock.

On Solomon Dodashvili there is the main city hotel “Sighnaghi” and the boutique hotel “Kabadoni”. And the main object of David the Builder Square is the city government building. The Local History Museum is also open here.

Kostava and Lalashvili streets, the main arteries of the city, branch off from these two squares. They meet again on Irakli II Square, where there is a large fountain, the Wedding Palace, a tourist information Center and casino.

Baratashvili Street begins from this place. It wobbles very strongly along its course, so it has become a popular subject for photography. From the Populi supermarket, the street rushes up and turns left, turning into the Tbilisi highway. They say that it is from here that you can get the most successful landscape photos of Sighnaghi.

The visiting card of the town and one of its symbols is the Church of St. George. This is a huge (of course, on the scale of Sighnaghi) brick basilica. It was built next to the fortress tower, the top of which was simply converted into a bell tower. It turned out beautiful and harmonious.

Many people who come to Sighnaghi do not miss the opportunity to visit the Bodbe Orthodox monastery located 2 km from the city. In the southern aisle of its main temple, St. George's Cathedral, there is a national shrine - the grave of the enlightener of Georgia, St. Nina. Another attraction of the monastery is the miraculous Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. It was kept in the monastery church even after it was converted into a hospital, and in the 20th century it was even used as an operating table. Therefore, on the face of the Virgin Mary you can see traces of a scalpel.

In many tourist guides, Sighnaghi is called the city of love. And for good reason. Firstly, there is a registry office here, which allows you to get married at any time of the day without first submitting documents. Secondly, there is a legend that it was in the Kakheti town that local artist Niko Pirosmani gave his beloved actress a million scarlet roses, which were immortalized by Alla Pugacheva.

Weather

The climate in Sighnaghi is humid subtropical. Peak precipitation here occurs in the off-season, although it sometimes rains heavily in the summer. Usually in June-August the climate is quite dry. In the vicinity of the town there are deciduous forests, forest-steppe, and steppe. The relief is an alternation of mountains of varying heights and valleys, which also leaves its mark on the climate: fog often occurs in autumn and winter.

It was not by chance that we chose the town of Sighnaghi, Georgia for a week of exploring Kakheti. On the slope of a mountain with a magnificent view of the Alazani Valley lies the toy town of Sighnaghi. Cobbled streets; well restored, old houses; mighty fortress walls with towers; luxury hotels and restaurants with excellent food and breathtaking views; friendly and kind people; Kakhetian wine and churchkhela - all this is Sighnaghi.

From Tbilisi to Sighnaghi, in addition to a car, you can travel independently by minibus for five lari per person from the Samgori bus station. The distance from Tbilisi to Sighnaghi is about 110 kilometers, and the travel time is about two hours.

Sighnaghi.

After looking on the Internet at a photo of modern Sighnaghi against the backdrop of the Alazani Valley, we saw an unusually beautiful, small European town with red tiled roofs and decided that we would definitely stay here for at least a week.
About what Sighnaghi looks like today after the global restoration that began in 2007, local residents completely opposite opinions. Some see in it the disappearance of national color and the destruction of the zest of Sighnaghi. Others tirelessly rejoice, boast and are proud of the changes that have come.
Six days were allocated for our stay in Sighnaghi. Exactly as much as planned for exploring Sighnaghi and the sights of Kakheti. An unusual place to stay in the city, matching Sighnaghi, was chosen with a beautiful view of the valley. Let's go to Sighnaghi, let's look at this miracle creation of Saakashvili and form our own opinion.
The Guest House Art apartment we chose was a real work of art, handmade by the hospitable hostess Susanna.

The owner is endowed with the talent of a designer: old things have found new uses.

And the paintings she painted gracefully fit into the decoration of the rooms.

and were even a good addition to the romantic landscapes from the terrace. Sighnaghi is located on a huge mountain and from almost any point you can see amazing panoramas of the Alazani Valley, and if you’re lucky, the Caucasus Range.

A lively addition to the interior was a local cat named Marsik, who lived on the terrace and was very fond of our family.

Every day we had lunch and dinner in different cafes. There are so many of them in Sighnaghi, almost around every corner. And there was never a time when we were not happy with anything, the food was very tasty, and the wine was very tasty. The absorption of culinary masterpieces was combined with stunning views of the Alazani Valley and the surrounding area, making our vacation even more unforgettable.

Old Sighnaghi.

In the 18th century, at the crossroads of caravan routes, on the slope of a huge mountain, King Irakli II founded the city of Sighnaghi and built a wall around it for the safety of the city. By the way, this fortress wall is the longest in Georgia.

There are very few houses inside the fortress wall and this part is called old Sighnaghi.

28 watchtowers and 5 kilometers of walls, for unknown purposes, protected a huge gorge and only a couple of dozen houses.

Our guest house is located in the old Sighnaghi, so we will start our acquaintance with Sighnaghi from the old part. Most of the buildings of Sighnaghi are located outside the wall on its eastern part. Therefore, when you enter from Old Sighnaghi to New, you feel as if you are getting inside the fortress, and not leaving it.

Gorgosali Street runs along the northern part of the fortress. This is the only restored street in Old Sighnaghi.

The main church of the city is located on it Church of St. George with a bell tower.

Let's reach the end of the street to the northern gate of the fortress. From the gate it is most convenient to climb the wall. Here is the only landscaped, illuminated section of the wall about two hundred meters away. You can safely walk along it even at night.

Next to the gate there is a nice restaurant with excellent views and delicious food.

What to see in Sighnaghi?

What else can you see in Old Sighnaghi? Not a bad option for a walk to see Sighnaghi Ethnographic Museum and at the same time explore the southern part of the fortress. The road to the ethnographic museum departs from Ketevan Tsamebuli Street. Ketevan Tsamebuli Street well paved highway, through which it is convenient to travel in the direction of Telavi. Cars rarely drive on it. There are several guest houses on the street where they sell delicious churchkhela and offer the best views of Sighnaghi to Gorgosali Street with the Temple of St. George and the Alazani Valley.

For some reason, the sign in front of the entrance does not include the letter R. Entrance to the park is free, but the park may be closed even during business hours. It all depends on the well-being and state of mind of the only caretaker.

In the park you can ride on the old swings,

relax on a bench

and get acquainted with grape varieties. The signs have inscriptions in Georgian and English.

After leaving the park there is no need to return, but it is better to go up the dirt road to the southern gate of old Sighnaghi, where it begins Chavchavadze street With beautiful views south side of the slope.

Exit through the southern gate onto Chavchavadze Street.

Chavchavadze Street is bordered on one side by a fortress wall, and on the other by continuous rows of houses descending into terraces.