RegionOutline guide

Samtskhe-Javakheti

Region (mkhare) of Georgia

Photo: Henri Bergius (Uploaded by User:Bergie, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Samtskhe-Javakheti is a region of Georgia, which borders Northern Armenia to the south.

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Sanatorium Aspindza
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санаторий Аспиндза
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Geno healing water pools
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Getting there and around

Getting around

Marshrutkas are generally the best when travelling south of Akhaltsikhe, as they seem to handle the bumpy dirt roads better than the Soviet built taxis.

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Airports and nearby hotels

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David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport

Kopitnari · International · KUT

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Read before you go to Samtskhe-Javakheti

Articles and travel topics about Samtskhe-Javakheti and Georgia.

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Food & drink

Georgian cuisine

Georgian cuisine is very varied. In addition to its many famous meat dishes, there are also a range of vegetarian and vegan dishes, in part due to the ubiquitous presence of the Orthodox Church which prescribes frequent…

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Itineraries

Georgian Military Highway

The Georgian Military Highway (Georgian: საქართველოს სამხედრო გზა [sakartvelos samkhedro gza], Russian: Военно-Грузинская дорога [Voyenno-Gruzinskaya doroga], Ossetic: Арвыкомы фæндаг [Arvykomy fændag]) is a mountain…

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Travel tips

Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Russian: Союз Советских Социалистических Республик (СССР)), or Soviet Union, emerged as the successor state to the Russian Empire in 1917, and was dissolved in 1991.

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Full travel guide

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Cities and towns

UnderstandSamtskhe-Javakheti used to be known as Meskheti, for its Meskhi Georgian tribes. The region is especially dry and mountainous south of Borjomi (which is still as green and wet as anywhere in Imereti).

TalkIn the southeast of the region around Akhalkalaki, Armenian is widely spoken, even more so than Georgian. But in the rest of the region, Georgian language speakers predominate.

Get aroundMarshrutkas are generally the best when travelling south of Akhaltsikhe, as they seem to handle the bumpy dirt roads better than the Soviet built taxis.

SeeBesides the famous Vardzia (a 12th-century cave monastery and city carved out of a cliff overlooking a river gorge), there are Upper Vardzia, Khertvisi Castle and Vanis Kvabebi (another cave monastery) closeby.

DoGoing deeper into the Vardzia valley, there seem to be some nice hiking opportunities going up from the valley. Also, the closeby monasteries of Akhaltsikhe invite for hiking and camping.

EatIf you are looking to sample some Armenian cuisine, Akhalkalaki is home to some authentic-as-it-gets cheap Armenian cafes.

Stay safeSamtskhe-Javakheti is a quite safe region of Georgia. Probably the biggest danger to a visitor is the risk of falling off various cultural monuments—there are no guard rails to speak of.

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Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Samtskhe-Javakheti" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Samtskhe–Javakheti", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Henri Bergius (Uploaded by User:Bergie, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

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Overview

Sights and activities

Sanatorium Aspindza

Geno healing water pools