Rabat Fortress in Akhaltsikhe

The newly reconstructed Rabat Fortress in Akhaltsikhe is the largest tourism project in Georgia in the last 10 years. The work was completed on August 17, 2012, and we visited the fortress in less than a month. Therefore, on the pictures you can see almost the original :)

The fortress is quite big and looks like a candy. It's a very pleasant place to walk, take photos, climb the towers and walls. There is a tourist information office here, as well as a wine and gift shop. The ticket also includes a visit to the archaeological museum.

There are many buildings of different styles inside the fortress: a gazebo, a fountain, a gallery, a castle, and a mosque. The last one has a gilded dome. I can imagine what local people say about such spending of money. We know that in Georgia there was much debate about this fortress and also about many other large-scale renovations. We want to say - Georgian friends, you're doing everything right. We liked your country, primarily due to large-scale reconstructions of the tourism infrastructure.

Getting there: The fortress is located in the town of Akhaltsikhe. Akhaltsikhe can be reached by minibus from any major city in the country. Just keep in mind that there are only 2 buses per day. More buses go Akhaltsikhe from the Didube bus station in Tbilisi.