Gremi
The citadel of Kakheti's lost capital — a 1565 church and tower on a hill above the Alazani Valley.
- Time needed
- 1 h
- From Tbilisi
- 125 km · 2:20
- Road
- Paved
- Car needed
- Economy class
- Season
- All year
- Entry
- ~5 ₾
In the sixteenth century Gremi was the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti: a trading town of several thousand people on a branch of the Silk Road, with Armenian, Persian and Georgian quarters, workshops, a caravanserai and a royal palace. In 1615 the campaign of Shah Abbas I destroyed it completely — the population was killed or deported to Persia, and the capital moved to Telavi. What survives today is the citadel on its hill; the town itself is under the fields below.
The centrepiece is the Church of the Archangels, built in 1565 under King Levan: an elongated brick church with a tall drum and dome, one of the clearest examples of Kakhetian architecture absorbing Persian influence. Inside, substantial fragments of sixteenth-century painting remain, including donor portraits. Beside it stands the bell tower, whose three floors now house a small museum of finds from the site.
The climb up to the citadel takes five minutes and repays it with a wide view over the Alazani plain, its vineyards, and the Caucasus ridge beyond. The complex is compact — an hour covers it comfortably — which makes it a natural stop on a day that also takes in Nekresi and Kvareli. Archaeological excavation of the lower town continues in the fields at the foot of the hill.
Gallery
Practical advice
An hour is enough, including the tower. The ticket is nominal and covers the tower museum; walking into the grounds is free. Park at the entrance directly off the road. Morning or late afternoon gives the best light — there is almost no shade on the hill and summer middays are hot. Modest dress is expected inside the church, so avoid shorts and bare shoulders. There is a toilet on site; the nearest cafés are in Kvareli.
How to get there from Tbilisi
From Tbilisi cross the Gombori Pass to Telavi, then continue north-east towards Kvareli for another thirty kilometres or so — around 125 km and two hours twenty in total. The road is asphalt throughout and an economy car is entirely sufficient; Gremi sits directly beside the main road, so there is no turning to hunt for. Fuel is available in Telavi and Kvareli. The alternative route via Sagarejo and Gurjaani is flatter but roughly thirty kilometres longer.
Click a marker for details. Coloured lines are ready-made road trips.
Nearby places
MonasteryNekresi Monastery
One of the oldest surviving churches in Georgia, on a wooded slope with a sweeping view over the Alazani Valley.
WineryKvareli and the Kindzmarauli zone
Kakheti's main red-wine microzone — tunnel cellars cut into rock, two lakes and a natural base for a harvest trip.
MuseumTsinandali Estate
The Chavchavadze family house, a landscaped English-style park and the first European-style winery in Georgia.