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 Solomon I of Imereti and the Russian General Todtleben as they fought to take Kutaisi from the Turks, and is now somewhat overgrown – but you can see remains of wine cellars at its west end and of a church in the middle, and parts of the medieval walls.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
3.43 MILES
This Unesco World Heritage–listed monastery complex, on a wooded hillside 8km northeast of Kutaisi, is an outstanding example of Golden Age architecture…
0.06 MILES
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…
14.79 MILES
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…
26.75 MILES
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…
20.84 MILES
The attractive Martvili Canyon has been comprehensively adapted to the needs of tourists and now contains multiple walkways and bridges giving lovely…
16.98 MILES
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…
0.59 MILES
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…
16.88 MILES
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…
Nearby Kutaisi attractions
0.06 MILES
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…
0.36 MILES
Kutaisi's handsome drama theatre overlooks the picturesque central square.
0.41 MILES
The central square, Tsentraluri moedani, focuses on the large ornamental Colchis Fountain, adorned with large-scale copies of the famous gold jewellery…
0.41 MILES
Kutaisi's indoor produce market is one of the largest, liveliest and most colourful in Georgia, full of cheese, walnuts, spices, herbs, fruit, vegetables,…
0.47 MILES
Kutaisi's opera house has been renovated with lines of classical statues, inspired by its famous Vienna counterpart, adorning it.
0.59 MILES
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…
2.77 MILES
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…
2.92 MILES
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…