Sighnaghi is an amazingly romantic city in Kakheti, a city of love, located in the middle of the Alazani Valley. Why the city of love? Because there is a 24-hour registry office where everyone is registered, even foreigners, even without documents. Because the same artist from Alla Pugacheva’s song “A Million Scarlet Roses” lived here, who gave “a whole sea of flowers” to the visiting actress. Because the fresh air, quiet streets and picturesque landscapes seem to be created for couples in love to stroll and coo along them.
Sighnaghi is a small city; all its attractions can be visited in one or two days. You can even have time to visit memorable places in the vicinity of the city.
The city fortress was built in the 18th century under King Heraclius II, the founder of the city. The walls of the fortress are two-tiered: the first is solid stone, the second is with buttresses (perpendicular supports that strengthen the wall), ledges and loopholes. But there is practically nothing inside the fortress, except for a couple of streets and the Church of St. George.
The city began to be built outside the walls, on the south side. The Sighnahi fortress is often compared to the Great Wall of China: it also runs along the topography of the mountains, you can walk along it and admire the view of the Alazani Valley.
Irakli II Square is located in the city center, where visitors usually start their journey. On the square there is the same 24-hour wedding palace, opposite it is the Qvevri fountain in the form of a wine jug, on which stands a deer - the same as the bronze one found during excavations in one of the local villages, only larger.
From Irakli II Square, streets diverge in different directions. Baratashvili Street is especially beautiful: it curves gracefully, going down, so it is often photographed.
On Baratashvili Street there is a small monument that from a distance resembles Don Quixote. In fact, this is a thin doctor in a hat, with an umbrella and a traveling bag, but he also rides a donkey. This sculpture is based on a painting by Niko Pirosmani, a primitivist artist who was born and lived in this area.
You can also recognize Benjamin Glonti, the main character of the film “Don’t Cry!” in the lanky doctor. Georgy Danelia. This role was played in 1969 by the beloved Georgian of the Soviet Union, Vakhtang Kikabidze. And some scenes of the film were filmed in Sighnaghi itself. The monument offers a beautiful view of the Alazani Valley, so very good photographs are obtained against its background. Nearby there are gazebos and a platform from which you can admire the scenery.
On Baratashvili Street there is a place for those who want to try real Georgian wines in a natural atmosphere - where they are made. The winery “Tears of Pheasant” is one of the first in Kakheti. It was created by an American who established the traditional production of wines according to ancient recipes and carefully monitored the quality of the products, so the store has earned a good reputation.
The name comes from a Georgian fairy tale, which says that only too much wine makes a pheasant cry tears of joy. There is a tasting in the store. Typically, local wine is supplied in limited quantities to restaurants and is not available for free sale, so tourists try to buy a few bottles here on occasion. There is also a restaurant here that serves Georgian cuisine and plays traditional music.
Central Park is named after the national holiday - Restoration of Independence Day. In the park there is a monument to Solomon Dodashvili, a Georgian philosopher and writer. There are also memorial plaques with carved names of city residents who died in the Great Patriotic War. On both sides of the park are David the Builder Square and Solomon Dodashvili Square.
One of the central squares, named after the king under whom the unification of Georgia took place. Here is the city hall building, built at the beginning of the twentieth century and combining the traditions of Italian classicism and Georgian architecture.
Nearby is the city drama theater, operating since 1872. Here is the City Hall Hotel - the same one in which the actress Margarita de Sèvres allegedly lived, and it was this area that the poor artist Pirosmani strewn with flowers for his beloved. You can see the artist’s works and other interesting exhibits in the local history museum, which is also located on the square.
The museum is located on David the Builder Square, on Rustaveli Street. It was restored to a new model in 2010, and now it is one of the best local history museums in Georgia. On the ground floor there are archaeological exhibits found in Kakheti. There are weapons from different eras and household utensils here. On the second floor there are paintings by Niko Pirosmani and Lado Gudiashvili, famous contemporary artists. However, these paintings are mostly little-known. In the film “Love with an Accent,” released in 2012, it is shown that there is a portrait of the actress Margarita - “the one who loved flowers.” But in reality there is no portrait here.
Location: Queen Tamara Street - 1.
On David the Builder Street there is a monument to another native of Sighnaghi - Vano Sarajishvili. This is a Georgian opera singer who at the beginning of the twentieth century performed in many productions in Russia, Azerbaijan, Italy, France, and Germany. Also possessing stage talent, Vano Sarajishvili also starred in one film. The State Conservatory of Tbilisi bears his name.
The largest temple in the city stands on Gorgosali Street, inside the city fortress, right next to its walls. It was built in 1793 by the Armenians, whom Irakli II sent here to populate the city. The bell tower was built directly on the fortress tower; it can be seen from afar, from any part of the city.
A basilica with relief arches on the facade was erected nearby. This is an example of traditional Armenian architecture. Since the mid-19th century, the temple was closed for a long time, but relatively recently it was restored and reopened to visitors. The inside of the temple is decorated with stucco and paintings; it contains ancient icons and books.
This is a small old temple, which is also located right in the fortress wall. The Church of St. Stephen is located in a tower at the highest point of the city; a bell tower was added to the side of the tower.
You can get here along Chavchavadze Street, from the southern entrance go inside the tower and climb the bell tower. This is the widest observation deck, from where you can see the entire city. You can admire the view just like that or use paid binoculars.
One of the most beautiful places in Sighnaghi is Bridget Hotel. It is located on Queen Tamara Street, house number 13. We won’t be able to live in it, but we can visit the hotel’s free ethnographic museum, admire the views from the terrace and eat in its restaurant.
There are a lot of beautiful panoramic hotels in Sighnaghi, as well as panoramic restaurants. For a week, we went to different restaurants once a day, ate our fill, drank wine and lemonade. Each restaurant received all five points in terms of the taste of food, level of service and views. And the price was quite affordable. The check for a family of four was no more than 3,000 rubles.
Bridget Hotel Museum.
Restaurant at the Bridget Hotel.
After a hearty lunch, we will continue our excursion.
"Love with accent."
On Queen Tamara Street there is another restaurant that you need to visit not only for the beautiful views of the valley.
Here in 2011, one of the short stories of the film directed by Rezo Gigineishvili “Love with an Accent” was filmed.
A local girl, Ketevan, gives tours around Sighnaghi and always brings tourists to lunch at a restaurant where Leo works as a cook. Leo is in love with a girl, but doesn't know how to tell her about it.
The romantic story of Niko Pirosmani haunts our hero and he sells his apartment to buy a million roses. When the entire courtyard of the Ketevan house is covered with baskets of roses, it turns out that the girl is on an excursion in another city. Unlike the story of Niko Pirosmania's unrequited love, this story ends well and Leo and Ketevan love each other.
Niko Pirosmani.
In fact, whether this story with the artist Niko Pirosmani was true or fiction is unknown.
As usually happens, people do not become great during their lifetime. Pirosmani is no exception. During his lifetime, no one was interested in the biography of the poor artist. Niko Pirosmani gained worldwide fame only after his death. He died in 1918 in Tiflis from hunger, and was presumably buried in a common grave for the poor.
Queen Tamara Street takes us to the main square of the city - the square Solomon Dodashvili, a Georgian philosopher of the 19th century with a monument of the same name at the head and the main alley of the city “April 9”.
On one side the square is surrounded Hotel “Sighnaghi”.
With another most expensive hotel Sighnaghi “Kabadoni”(Queen Tamara Street, house no. 1), price per night minimum 50 dollars per person.
From the third side "British Park".
Departs from the square Ketevan Tsamebuli street, which leads to the gates of Old Sighnaghi and.
From the street there are views of the fortress walls and Gorgosali street with the Church of St. George.
After walking along Ketevan Street, we will return to the alley. On the alley April 9th grandmothers sell delicious churchkhela.
and raise money for Sighnaghi dogs, of which there are quite a few in the city.
It’s interesting that we never met angry, barking dogs in Sighnaghi.
Along the alley there is a wall of memory to those who fell during the Second World War.
Engraved on the wall are lists of dead residents of the Sighnaghi region.
There is a nice cafe nearby.
Sighnaghi Museum.
The alley ends David the Builder Square with huge City Hall. To the left of City Hall Sighnaghi Local History Museum, hidden behind thick foliage. In the museum, in addition to archaeological finds, you can also see some paintings by Niko Pirosmani. Many museums around the world would consider it an honor to have his paintings in their collections, and here almost a third of his work is presented. For art lovers, I would like to note that in Mirzaani village(about twenty kilometers from Sighnaghi) there is a house-museum where the artist was born and grew up.
David the Builder Square cultural center of Sighnaghi. The city theater is located here.
From David the Builder Square two streets descend:
Kostava
And Lalashvili.
On Lalashvili street There is a small square, near which the city market sits comfortably.
In this part, many guest houses are available for overnight stays at modest prices.
And restaurants will reward you with delicious wine and food.
And they will even give you a bottle if you are Larisa Ivanovna according to your passport. Mimino is loved and respected here.
Kostava and Lalashvili streets merge into Irakli II Square.
Irakli II Square, Sighnaghi
On the square you can rent a minicar and drive noisily through the streets of Sighnaghi. Local residents look at this attraction with dissatisfaction. Who would want there to be rumble under the windows all the time? But apparently the income to the local budget is not bad (judging by the prices for travel) and takes precedence over the peace of mind of the townspeople.
In addition to a minicar, you can elegantly ride around the city in a carriage.
On Irakli II Square minibuses stop from Tbilisi and all arriving tourists begin their exploration of Sighnaghi from the square.
Here in one building are tourist office And MARRIAGE REGISTRY, where you will be married immediately.
Not far and police just in case.
Opposite the police there is a copper sculpture “doctor on a donkey” based on paintings by Pirosmani.
Several more city streets branch off from the square, which the hand of the restorer has not yet reached.
Square of Irakli II ends Baratashvili street. This street is the main gate to Sighnaghi from Tbilisi.
In the brick gazebos you can relax and admire the views, which are not the best in Sighnaghi.
Baratashvili Street is very photogenic. It winds in different directions with carved balconies, shops and hotels.
Tears of a Pheasant, Sighnaghi
Walking along this street, you can stop by the winery “Tears of Pheasant”. They won't charge you any money to watch it.
There is a real museum inside.
It was not by chance that we chose the town of Sighnaghi, Georgia for a week of exploring Kakheti. On the slope of a mountain with a magnificent view of the Alazani Valley lies the toy town of Sighnaghi. Cobbled streets; well restored, old houses; mighty fortress walls with towers; luxury hotels and restaurants with excellent food and breathtaking views; friendly and kind people; Kakhetian wine and churchkhela - all this is Sighnaghi.
From Tbilisi to Sighnaghi, in addition to a car, you can travel independently by minibus for five lari per person from the Samgori bus station. The distance from Tbilisi to Sighnaghi is about 110 kilometers, and the travel time is about two hours.
Sighnaghi.
Having looked on the Internet at a photo of modern Sighnaghi against the backdrop of the Alazani Valley, we saw an unusually beautiful, small European town with red tiled roofs and decided that we would definitely stay here for at least a week.
Local residents have completely opposite opinions about what Sighnaghi looks like today after the global restoration that began in 2007. Some see in it the disappearance of national color and the destruction of the zest of Sighnaghi. Others tirelessly rejoice, boast and are proud of the changes that have come.
Six days were allocated for our stay in Sighnaghi. Exactly as much as planned for exploring Sighnaghi and the sights of Kakheti. An unusual place to stay in the city, matching Sighnaghi, was chosen with a beautiful view of the valley. Let's go to Sighnaghi, let's look at this miracle creation of Saakashvili and form our own opinion.
The Guest House Art apartment we chose was a real work of art, handmade by the hospitable hostess Susanna.
The owner is endowed with the talent of a designer: old things have found new uses.
And the paintings she painted gracefully fit into the decoration of the rooms.
and were even a good addition to the romantic landscapes from the terrace. Sighnaghi is located on a huge mountain and from almost any point you can see amazing panoramas of the Alazani Valley, and if you’re lucky, the Caucasus Range.
A lively addition to the interior was a local cat named Marsik, who lived on the terrace and was very fond of our family.
Every day we had lunch and dinner in different cafes. There are so many of them in Sighnaghi, almost around every corner. And there was never a time when we were not happy with anything, the food was very tasty, and the wine was very tasty. The absorption of culinary masterpieces was combined with stunning views of the Alazani Valley and the surrounding area, making our vacation even more unforgettable.
Old Sighnaghi.
In the 18th century, at the crossroads of caravan routes, on the slope of a huge mountain, King Irakli II founded the city of Sighnaghi and built a wall around it for the safety of the city. By the way, this fortress wall is the longest in Georgia.
There are very few houses inside the fortress wall and this part is called old Sighnaghi.
28 watchtowers and 5 kilometers of walls, for unknown purposes, protected a huge gorge and only a couple of dozen houses.
Our guest house is located in the old Sighnaghi, so let’s start our acquaintance with Sighnaghi from the old part. Most of the buildings of Sighnaghi are located outside the wall on its eastern part. Therefore, when you enter from Old Sighnaghi to New, you feel as if you are getting inside the fortress, and not leaving it.
Gorgosali Street runs along the northern part of the fortress. This is the only restored street in Old Sighnaghi.
The main church of the city is located on it Church of St. George with a bell tower.
Let's reach the end of the street to the northern gate of the fortress. From the gate it is most convenient to climb the wall. Here is the only landscaped, illuminated section of the wall about two hundred meters away. You can safely walk along it even at night.
Next to the gate there is a nice restaurant with excellent views and delicious food.
What to see in Sighnaghi?
What else can you see in Old Sighnaghi? Not a bad option for a walk to see Sighnaghi Ethnographic Museum and at the same time explore the southern part of the fortress. The road to the ethnographic museum departs from Ketevan Tsamebuli Street. Ketevan Tsamebuli Street a well-paved road, through which it is convenient to travel in the direction of Telavi. Cars rarely drive on it. There are several guest houses on the street where they sell delicious churchkhela and offer the best views of Sighnaghi to Gorgosali Street with the Temple of St. George and the Alazani Valley.
For some reason, the sign in front of the entrance does not include the letter R. Entrance to the park is free, but the park may be closed even during business hours. It all depends on the well-being and state of mind of the only caretaker.
In the park you can ride on the old swings,
relax on a bench
and get acquainted with grape varieties. The signs have inscriptions in Georgian and English.
After leaving the park there is no need to return, but it is better to go up the dirt road to the southern gate of old Sighnaghi, where it begins Chavchavadze street with beautiful views of the southern side of the slope.
Exit through the southern gate onto Chavchavadze Street.
Chavchavadze Street is bordered on one side by a fortress wall, and on the other by continuous rows of houses descending into terraces.
"Oh, Sighnaghi! City of love, it's wonderful there!" - the owner of the apartment in Tbilisi told me when I told him in the evening about our future plans. "You will definitely like it!" - he exclaimed. I had no doubt, because everywhere I read about Sighnaghi they wrote about how beautiful this city is. The next day I made one simple conclusion - they are all lying. Sighnaghi is the most boring and soulless place I have been to in Georgia.
2. Sighnaghi is located in the province of Kakheti; a fairly calm and lightly trafficked road leads here from Tbilisi. 110 kilometers flew by unnoticed and already at 10 am we passed the stele with the inscription “Sighnaghi”.
3. Sighnaghi has a reputation as the “city of lovers”. It was here, according to legend, that the artist Niko Pirosmani covered the square in front of the hotel with flowers, where his lover, the French actress Margarita de Sèvres, lived. A little later Alla Pugacheva will sing about this. There is no evidence of this legend, but it fits perfectly into the image created by the city.
From a distance, Sighnaghi looks very impressive. The city seems to float above the Alazani Valley and you are ready for long walks along its beautiful streets. I planned to walk around the city all day and spend the night here. I was already planning to book accommodation on Booking.com, but decided to do it a little later, since there were plenty of options. It was the wisest decision.
4. Having arrived in Sighnaghi, I parked the car in the parking lot almost at the entrance (all parking here is free, if anything) and went for a walk. The city was suspiciously quiet.
5. “Hmm! Probably all the most interesting things are in the center,” I thought and went to the center. After 5 minutes, the understanding came that there is no center in Sighnaghi - the whole city is the same. The only thing that caught my eye was the large number of runaway carts from AvtoVAZ, which has not been typical for Georgia for a long time.
6. After half an hour of walking along almost identical, neat streets, I realized that I had been deceived. It feels like a neutron bomb was detonated in Sighnaghi and there is no one left here. The most interesting event that can happen on these streets is meeting a random passerby. Identical houses mix into a common mess and you want to fall asleep out of boredom.
7. It quickly becomes clear that this entire city is one big decoration that was created to attract tourists. Beautiful houses with orange roofs + a cute legend + a 24-hour registry office (yep, just like in Vegas) = “the city of love.” Dead city of love. And even a million red roses can’t save you.
8. In some places, on the outskirts of the street, they haven’t yet had time to comb their hair. Apparently, tourists do not reach these places.
9. The whole city lives with excursions, selling wine and renting rooms.
10. The most interesting thing I met during the first hour of the walk was a dog that looked like a pig and a hen with chicks. Very nice.
11. Only an hour has passed since we arrived in Sighnaghi, and the city is almost completely covered. Life didn’t prepare me for this. It was decided to go to the preserved fortress walls to look at the Alazani Valley from above.
Along the way we finally met people: they were the ubiquitous Chinese with the obligatory tripod. Told them "Nihao!" and moved on.
12. On the wall it was just as deserted and uninteresting. There was an idea to go to the cafe on the wall to have a snack with a view of the valley, but it was closed. Klaaaas.
13. I had to force Ira to take pictures of me. I usually avoid this, but all means are good in the fight against boredom.
14. Where is everyone? Aw!
15. Someone even came here in a camper. I wonder if you liked it? Maybe it's just me who is such a snob and critic?
16. Pirosmani’s followers sell their works near the wall. There are some very good ones, I must say. Prices - from 40 to 200 GEL.
17. Then a dilemma arose. It was only 12 o'clock, and there was absolutely nothing to do here. They walked around the whole city, smelled the roses, stroked the piggy dog twice. It was decided to go to the neighboring monastery of St. Nino, we were assured that it was wonderful there. Okay, I'll believe it again.
18. At the monastery we were greeted by excellent views and a lot of people.
19. And also the flattest dog and the kindest cat. Not bad already!
20. But in general, visiting the monastery extended our time of communicating with Sighnaghi by only half an hour.
21. Already at 12-30 we were free as the wind and began to think through plans for the second half of the day. There were two options: return to Tbilisi or try to get to the David Gareji cave monastery, which is located on the border with Azerbaijan. We decided to take a chance and try the second option - and it was just bingo! But more on that next time.
Bye, Sighnaghi! We won't be bored.
- the most romantic and beautiful city in Kakheti, located 110 km east of Tbilisi. The town is very small and completely restored: ancient houses, cobbled streets and quiet, measured rural life - an ideal place for a couple of lovers.
In this post: photos of Sighnaghi, attractions, our impressions of the city, as well as useful information about hotels, restaurants, and transport.
You can read about other sights of Georgia in
Little is known about the history of this settlement. Only that the city was built in the 18th century by King Irakli II as a refuge from Lezgin and Persian attacks. In 2005, large-scale restoration began in Sighnaghi, something is still being completed.
It is also called the city of love, and there are two versions why. First, there is a wedding palace here, where you can easily arrange a wedding without unnecessary hassle and documents. The second is a famous native of these places, the artist Pirosmani, who paved the road with red roses for his beloved. Remember Alla Pugacheva's song? It's just about this story. Be that as it may, the town is really very romantic.
The entire town is built on hills, and has a rather intricate network of streets winding through the mountains. From the top there are excellent views of the Alazani Valley, where the famous wines of Kakheti are produced.
Sights of Sighnaghi
What is worth seeing in Sighnaghi? We were here for only one day with an overnight stay - this time was enough to visit all the interesting places in the area.
Fortress walls
The 4-kilometer fortress walls around the city still stand, there are 23 towers and 6 gates, you can take a nice walk among them.
Streets of Sighnaghi
Sighnaghi Museum
A modern museum with archaeological finds made on the territory of Kakheti and paintings by the artist Pirosmani, he was born in these places.
Entry fee: 3 lari
Working hours: 11:00 – 17:00, except Monday
Address: Rustaveli, 8
It is located very close to the city Bodbe Monastery.
It is definitely worth a 2 km walk along the mountain road from Sighnaghi. The monastery is located among tall cypress trees in a very cozy place, you just want to stay there longer. We sat on the parapet looking out over the valley for perhaps an hour.
The temple is dedicated to Saint Nino, who is buried here. If you go down the slope about 800 m, you can find a holy spring of water.
View of the Alazani Valley
Mirzaani village
The famous artist Pirosmani was born in Mirzaani, so fans of his work will be interested in visiting the artist’s homeland. You can also visit the museum there (entrance 3 GEL, from 10 to 17, except Mondays).
We expected that there would be more shops and shops in Sighnaghi, but in fact everything is quite modest, a few village shops and grandfathers selling wine and chacha. In general, the whole city, although very nice, looks as if it is artificial, made for show for tourists. Here you will not see genuine Georgian life; for this it is better to go to the surrounding villages. At the same time, the infrastructure in the town is not yet particularly developed.
Sights of Sighnaghi
In any case, it is definitely worth coming to Sighnaghi, especially if you are traveling around Kakheti - enjoy the views of the Alazani Valley and the surrounding hills, stroll along the streets, and visit the monasteries. But coming with a girlfriend or wife is generally a good thing!
Read also:
Hotels and guesthouses in Sighnaghi
There are a lot of housing options in Sighnaghi; even on weekends and holidays you will not be left without a roof over your head. The best option is to stay not in a hotel, but in a guest house, the so-called guesthouse - you will communicate with the owners, and it will be cheaper. There are options here from $10 per room in a simple house to $100 in luxury boutique hotels.
We stopped. The owner Vano is a very intelligent and pleasant person, he runs the local chess club. He immediately treated us to pears, figs and chacha. ;-) The house is simple, but with a cool large veranda overlooking the Alazani Valley. There are several tables and all kinds of pottery there.
Find more hotels in Sighnaghi:
Tbilisi Sighnaghi how to get there?
By public transport
To get to Sighnaghi from Tbilisi, go to Samgori bus station (near the metro station of the same name). From there, minibuses run several times a day to Sighnaghi, the cost is 6 GEL, and the journey takes 2 hours. At the very end of the road there will be a nice serpentine road that goes up the mountain towards the city.
From Sighnaghi you can go to Telavi - the minibus runs once a day at 09:15, the cost is 4 GEL, and the journey takes an hour and a half. There is also transport to Tsnori, which is down in the valley - minibuses run every hour every day, except weekends. The fare is 1 lari, the journey takes half an hour. And from Tsnori you can already leave for Lagodekhi and the Azerbaijani border.
It is ideal to come with your own car or rent a taxi for a couple of days, because public transport in Kakheti is inconsistent and does not go everywhere.
(price 85-90 GEL one way for the whole car).
