Sighnaghi

Sighnaghi's fortifying wall (18th century) is one of the longest in Georgia; it occupies 40 ha. The wall has 23 towers, each one named for a nearby town, and six gates. Its width is 1.5 m, height 4.5 m and total length is 4.5 km. A small section of the wall, perpendicular to the snow-capped mountain range, has a walkway with open towers. You can walk from the center of the old city to the road to Sakobo/Tsnori, where there is a restaurant and picnic spot and great view of the valley. With little traffic you can walk alongside the road back to the old city. Walk along the wall a couple of times (and climb up into the towers) at different times of the day because you get different views of the valley and the mountains. Walking the whole wall can be difficult, after the walkway it goes steep down a hill and at the bottom you have to overcome a step of about 4 m. Also this and further parts are overgrown and partly degenerated.

The church tower commands an excellent view of Sighnaghi's surrounding areas, and people can climb over the fortifications. There is often an old man here (the candle seller who is in every Orthodox church) who tries to extract a fee from visitors, but there is no price for admission to the church or the tower.

One of the most important places in Georgia for pilgrimages: St. Nino Equal to the Apostles, who brought Christianity to the country in the IV century, is buried here. Her tomb is in St. George's Basilica in a narrow chapel, to the right if facing the iconostasis, under a white marble altar. Mtskheta and Sighnaghi represent the beginning and the end of St. Nino's ministry in Georgia. Buried at the entrance to St. George's is Abbess Nino, the mother superior in 1924 when the convent was closed by Bolshevik Russia. The monastery was constructed at the end of the 5th century by King Vakhtang Gorgasali and then reconstructed in the 19th century. The complex, with two churches, a bell tower, a cemetery, and a tasteful gift shop, as well as facilities for 30 sisters, has beautiful gardens and fantastic views of the Alazani Valley. Just before 10:00 on a Sunday morning (2016) the gates to the convent were opened, and visitors were allowed into the church to receive communion with the nuns and a blessing.

There is a sister at the font and small church to manage pilgrims who wish to wash in the holy and allegedly healing water here. It appears to require undressing and putting on a white tunic, which you rent/buy from the sister. Same-sex groups of maybe four enter at one time, and others cannot go in until they come out. The water is reportedly very cold. There is a road to get to the spring from the convent by car or taxi.

An old Armenian church built in 1793, with a tall bell tower visible from many points of the city. Beginning in 1924, during the Soviet period, the church was used as a clubhouse (ակումբ). The church now serves as a Georgian Orthodox Church.

The ground floor holds an impressive exhibit of archeological artifacts, many of which were discovered locally. The upper floor features 16 original paintings by the famous Georgian folk artist Niko Pirosmani, who was from the Mirzaani Valley, as well as a gallery for special exhibitions.

The largest market in the region, Bodbiskhevi offers the traditional Soviet Sunday market day experience. At Bodbiskhevi market the prices and variety of goods are unmatched, selling such things as fresh produce, meats, cheeses, crafts, clothes, livestock, and house and farm goods. There is some confusion about whether the market is in the Bodbiskhevi village, which is 4 km southwest of Tsnori – best to ask locals.

Sighnaghi is the Georgian wedding city, with the registry office running all around the clock, from morning to evening. Consequently, many celebrations take place in Sighnaghi, which you will notice. Also foreigners can get married here without hassle: you just need your passport. A notarial translation is recommended to be on the safe side (any notary office will do, 15 lari).