Must see attractions in Western Georgia

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This Unesco World Heritage–listed monastery complex, on a wooded hillside 8km northeast of Kutaisi, is an outstanding example of Golden Age architecture…

Kutaisi's cathedral was built in 1003 by Bagrat III, with a tall drum and pointed dome resting on four freestanding pillars. In 1692 a Turkish explosion…

An exciting 700m-long walkway projects from the edge of this 100m-deep canyon and culminates in a viewing platform that hangs right out over the middle…

Nokalakevi is an ancient Colchian fortress built on the banks of the Tekhuri River. It's been mooted as one of the (many) places to have housed the Golden…

The castle-like palace of the Dadiani family (old lords of Samegrelo) is now a museum set in beautifully maintained grounds. As well as interesting 19th…

The attractive Martvili Canyon has been comprehensively adapted to the needs of tourists and now contains multiple walkways and bridges giving lovely…

This impressive waterfall cascades 88m down the side of a huge limestone cliff, runs through a narrow gorge and then crashes down again to a pool below…

The history museum has superb collections from all around western Georgia, but a guided tour is a good idea as labelling is poor. The highlight is the…

You'll need to use your imagination to get much out of this ancient city site, which was one of the main centres of Colchis, flourishing from the 8th to…

The star features of the 3.3-sq-km reserve, 9km northwest of Kutaisi, are a couple of dozen 120-million-year-old, fossilised dinosaur footprints (well…

Little Motsameta sits on a spectacular clifftop promontory above a bend of the Tskhaltsitela River, 5km from Kutaisi, 1.8km off the Gelati road. The river…

This 1.4km-long cave at Kumistavi, 20km northwest of Kutaisi, is a succession of six large chambers followed by a 400m-long underground lake. Sections are…

The picturesque, remote mountain lakes of Toba-Varchkhili, at around 2650m altitude, are best visited on a camping trip, as they’re reached by a 33km jeep…

Not to be confused with the more-famous Dadiani Palace in Zugdidi, the former summer palace of the Dadianis (and now occasional residence of the Patriarch…

The ruined palace-citadel immediately east of the Bagrati Cathedral dates back to the 6th century. It was ruined in 1769 by bombardment from the forces of…

Martvili's monastery, a medieval Georgian cultural centre, sits on a serene hilltop overlooking the town and the surrounding valleys and hills. Its church…

Kutaisi's indoor produce market is one of the largest, liveliest and most colourful in Georgia, full of cheese, walnuts, spices, herbs, fruit, vegetables,…

The central square, Tsentraluri moedani, focuses on the large ornamental Colchis Fountain, adorned with large-scale copies of the famous gold jewellery…

Kutaisi's opera house has been renovated with lines of classical statues, inspired by its famous Vienna counterpart, adorning it.

Kutaisi's handsome drama theatre overlooks the picturesque central square.