Attractions

From Novy Afon Caves it’s 2.5km uphill to Anakopia, capital of Abkhazia in the 8th century AD. Taxis can take you half way up for R100. Inside the hilltop citadel are the ruins of an 8th-century cathedral and a rece…

The multi-gold-domed Novy Afon Monastery, founded by Russian monks in the 1870s, stands out on the hillside, about a 15-minute walk up from the main road. Its cathedral, often thronged with worshippers, has wonderfu…

From Psyrtskha train station you can walk 20 minutes up a pretty river valley to Simon the Zealot’s Cave, where the saint reputedly lived.

The 10th-century stone Church of Simon the Zealot stands on the spot where the eponymous apostle was reputedly killed by Roman soldiers

Guides lead visitors on a 1.4km, 1¼-hour underground journey through a series of impressive chambers.