Chiatura

If you ever wondered what life was like in industrial settlements in the previous century, then you should visit towns like Chiatura. Chiatura is a unique settlement. It was totally built due to the manganese and iron mining in the area and was founded as a town only in 1921. The town is located on many different mountain tops, which are mostly limestone rocks. These mountains are green and full of vegetation, and at the same time, they have Soviet blocks of flats on top of them. The scenery makes you feel like you've found some abandoned, lost city, but if you walk in the central part of Chiatura, you will see that people still live there.

What To Do

The major attractions in Chiatura are the cable cars built in the time of Stalin. These cable cars used to take workers to mines and people to different parts of the town because, as said, the town is located on top of limestone cliff formations. In 2016, the ropeways became worn out and were suspended, but recently, in 2021, renovation works were done, and the cable cars were opened again, so you could freely try and enjoy them.

Another sight in Chiatura that is definitely recommended is the Mghvimevi Nunnery. This nunnery is located right on the edge of a cliff and looks like a building from a fantasy movie because its location is so unique and unusual. It is located on the right embankment of the river Kvirila in a naturally formed cave, and the name of this place translates as "cave". The dwelling buildings of the nuns, the main basilica, a small church, and the courtyard are all made in this cave, and they are connected by a trail that is also carved into a cliff. Behind the churches, there is still a preserved natural cave, which is also used as a church and has services during the celebrations. Culturally, this place is one of the important monuments of Georgian medieval church architecture, and it has quite significant fresco paintings of the founders of the nunnery, who were lords of Racha in the 13^th century.

Overall, it is one of the most unique and beautiful destinations in Georgia. If you happen to be traveling to Chiatura, do not forget to visit the nunnery of Mghvimevi. Here you can find our tours to Chiatura here.

Just 13 kilometers from Chiatura, there is a 40-meter-high rock formation called the Katskhi pillar. Nobody knows how this pillar was formed into the shape it has today, but one thing is certain: It had always been an object of admiration for people. Something that had always been seen as divine and unearthly, and we have proof of that because we know that before Christianity, the Katskhi pillar was one of the central places for pagan worship, and afterward it became a shelter for those who wanted to avoid themselves from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and from sinful society. Perhaps it’s the shape of the rock or maybe the height that makes people feel closer to the sky and closer to the god that lured people here at all ages. Undoubtedly, there’s something very mysterious, divine, and pure about the Katskhi pillar. Today, there’s one monk who continuously lives in a small church that is located on top of this rock. There’s only one very simple ladder that brings him to the church. For visitors, it is not allowed to see the church or climb the pillar. It is allowed only for the monk, who is probably looking for solitude, peace of mind, and connection with the divine. Visitors today are very excited to see the place, and the surrounding nature is its main attraction. Katskhi Pillar is located in rocky, green, and deep forests.

How To Get To

If you want to visit Katskhi Pillar, the best way to get there is by private marshutka from Didube bus station in Tbilisi. You need to take a bus from there to Chiatura and then hire a taxi. To move inside Chiatura, local private transport is an option. Otherwise, you can hire a car here.