Khertvisi Fortress

You will pass the Khertvisi Fortress on the way to Vardzia. It stands on a high hill at the confluence of the Kura and Paravani rivers. The best view of the fortess opens from the main road. The fortress has a perfect strategic location. Three roads intersect here: the first one leads to Turkey, the second one to the sea, and the third one to Tbilisi. The main shopping road lay here for many centuries.

The church in the fortress, which is now under reconstruction, was built in 985, and the walls appeared later. In the XII century the fortress had become a city, but 100 years later it was destroyed by the Mongols. Until the XV century it lost importance. In the XVI century the Turks had captured the fortress and had been holding it for three centuries, until the forces of Georgia and Russia returned the lost territories in 1828.

The fortress is not protected and there can be cows inside, so watch your step :)

Getting there: There is a minibus from Rustavi to Vardzia, which passes the Didube bus station in Tbilisi at about 10 am. But it stops only when free seats are available. There's a minibus Tbilisi - Akhalkalaki, on which you can get to the fortress.

You can go by taxi and combine the trip with a visit to Vardzia. Round trip from Tbilisi will cost you from $120.

There's a minibus Akhaltsikhe - Vardzia, 4 times a day (10:35 am, 12:20 pm, 4 pm, 5:30 pm, return 8 am, 9 am, 3 pm, 6 pm), costs $4, about 1.5 - 2 hours to go. Akhaltsikhe can be reached by bus from the Didube bus station in Tbilisi, from Kutaisi (8:15 am, 8:50 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:10 pm), 3.5 - 4 hours to go, $8, and from Batumi.

From Akhaltsikhe you can go by taxi for $45-50 for a round trip. If you're not planning to spend a night near Vardzia, then taxi from Akhaltsikhe or Tbilisi is the best option in any case.