Sighnaghi

A small and charming town located on the edge of the Tsivgombori mountain range, 110 km from Tbilisi and 800 meters above sea level, with its defensive wall and a wedding hall, is Sighnaghi. The defensive wall and the wedding hall are the main sights of Sighnaghi. The first is because it is the biggest defensive wall in Georgia, and the second is because it operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The wedding hall of Sighnaghi is very popular among those who want to get married any time of the day or night. By the way, this is a reason why Sighnaghi is known as a town of love.

The wall of Sighnaghi, dated to the 14^th century A.D., stretches for 4 kilometers and encircles 40 ha of land. It was built as a fortification and a shelter during wartime. King Erekle II restored the wall in the 18^th century. It was in those times that Sighnaghi got its name and was called a shelter. Among the 19^th-century theater and Saint George’s chapel, the ethnographic and archaeological museum of Sighnaghi is an important site in the town. It has an exhibition of the paintings of the famous Niko Pirosmani. This primitivist painter was born in Kakheti, close to Sighnaghi, in 1862. A WWII memorial plate with the names of deceased soldiers from Sighnaghi and neighboring villages can be found in the park of Sighnaghi.

What To Do

Sighnaghi has beautiful landscapes and views of the Alazani Valley and the Caucasus Mountains. The best time to visit Sighnaghi is in the spring or summer. In summer, it can be quite hot, but we still have greenery in the valley and snow on the tops of the mountains, which create unforgettable landscapes. So just go there and sit in one of those panoramic restaurants and eat some local barbecue, or go to a café and have a coffee while enjoying the amazing views from there, or very easily you could come across a Georgian traditional table where locals sing traditional folk songs. For adventure lovers, Sighnaghi also has something to offer. For example, paragliding is available in Sighnaghi and a zip-line activity is there as well.

If you ever wanted to have an authentic experience with a typical Kakhetian family, enjoy traditional food that was grown by the family, enjoy wine produced by the family, or maybe participate in the grape harvest, on a traditional occasion called Rtveli, you are very welcome, and there are many places around Sighnaghi where you can involve yourself in authentic activities by visiting a local family. 

What To See

• Historical defensive wall of Sighnaghi
• Historical Ethnographic museum of Sighnaghi
• Sculpture and museum of Vano Sarajishvili
• WWII Memorial
• Saint George's church
• Saint Stephane church 
• Bodbe Nunnery