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        THE CAVE CITY of Vardzia is a monastery dug into the side of the Erusheli mountain in southern Georgia near Aspindza. It was founded by Queen Tamar in 1185. The monastery was constructed as protection from the Mongols. and consisted of over six thousand apartments in a thirteen story complex. The city included a church, a throne room, and a complex irrigation system watering terraced farmlands. The

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only access to the complex was through some well hidden tunnels near the Mtkvari river.
An earthquake in Samtskhe destroyed approximately two thirds of the city in 1283, exposing the caves to outside view and collapsing the irrigation system. The church was reinforced and an externally visible bell tower added during the reign of Beka Jakheli in the thirteenth century. Persians commanded by Shah Tahmasp I raided the monastery in 1551, capturing all important icons and effectively ending the life of the monastery.

A tourist attraction.
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To day Vardzia is a major tourist attraction in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia. The place is maintained by a small group of monks and can be visited for a small fee. Marshrutkas go to Vardzia daily from the city of Akhaltsikhe. About three hundred apartments and halls remain visitable, and in some tunnels the old irrigation pipes still bring drinkable water.

Planning and going.
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If you are planning to go to Vardzia you probably will be going from Tbilisi. There are rather bad roads and as a daytrip you need to calculate at least 15 hours back and forth. It doesn’t seem far, but the roads, at least the last part is terrible. I would recommend a 4 WD but as far as I could see tourist buses managed to get there. Impressive, but highly dangerous if you ask me. A Mashrutka is beyond what I would call safe, also regarding the fact that you will be driving mush of the trip on the most dangerous Tbilisi – Kutaisi high way. Here the speed is extreme and the drivers insane. Bring food. There’s nothing to buy in Vardzia, but a picnic by the riverside is great when you finally arrive.

Visiting the caves.
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Bring plenty of water from the water post before you start climbing. You wont regret it! Once you reach the cave village, which is 30 minutes steep climb, you can hire a guide. That’s only useful if you speak Georgian. The guide will read from a paper or resituate a prewritten text in Georgian. Some advanced guides might do it in Russian, but considering the recent events I wouldn’t count on it. Inside the cave city you have to try the ice cold water. The temperature can be 40 degree Celsius outside, but once inside it drops down to below 20. If you are tall like me you will destroy your knees and feet tumbling up and down the narrow tunnels. They are constructed for midgets. For those of you suffering from claustrophobia this is NOT the place to be. But my God it is a great place! Go!

Source for facts: Wikipedia
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The mountain holds kilometers of carved tunnels.


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One of the housings.
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Exciting scenery on the way back.