Akhalkalaki

Akhalkalaki town is the center of Samckhe-Javakheti region and is located in the southern part of the country at a distance of 30 km from the Turkish border. Both the town and its surroundings differ a lot from the other parts of Georgia: they have their own history, culture and traditions. The fact is that Javakhetia was in turn a part of Turkey and then of Armenia, and now the imprint of the Armenian culture is very clearly felt in this region. And about 95% of the population in Akhalkalaki are Armenians.

The climate here is harsh enough, the winter is very cold with a maximum recorded temperature of -40 C°.

In the vicinity of Akhalkalaki, there are many interesting attractions, among which many are of Armenian origin. The most famous and attractive for tourists site is a cave town Vardzia located at a distance of 18 km from Akhalkalaki. It is a huge complex consisting of rock-cut temples, fortresses, towns. 

Not far from the Vardzia you can see the ruins of one of the oldest churches in Georgia – Cathedral temple Kumurdo. This is an outstanding example of Georgian medieval architecture. A unique feature of the temple is also the fact that it is one of the few cross-domed creations of its time.

You can also go out of town for a long walk through the village and see a beautiful lake Tabatskura.