City in the rock Georgia. The cave city of Uplistsikhe and Gori is the birthplace of Stalin. What is there now

“Fortress of God” - this is how the name of the unique monument is literally translated from Georgian. ancient architecture Georgia - the cave city of Uplistsikhe. Most of its houses and streets are located right in the thickness of the volcanic rocks of Kvernaki.

One of the most popular attractions in Georgia, Uplistsikhe, is located just 75 km from the capital on the banks of the Kura River, next to Gori, where, by the way, Joseph Stalin was born. She is listed World Heritage UNESCO, because the history of this place is measured in thousands of years, and the first mentions in chronicles of Uplistsikhe date back to the 1st century. BC e. We invite you to plunge into the history of a unique civilization and feel the breath of eternity under the blue sky of Georgia among the pristine beauty of Georgian nature!

As you approach this incredible rock-hewn city, you are sure to stop in awe, mesmerized by the sight that unfolds before your eyes. The bizarre phantasmagoric view of the cave rock city will surprise even experienced tourists who have seen a lot and heard even more. Most people who have seen Uplistsikhe with their own eyes say that it looks as if giant ants had made passages in the mountain and formed numerous grottoes in it, inside which people once lived and life was seething.

Once upon a time, this city consisted of majestic temples, striking in their scale and beauty, ceremonial halls and residents' homes. All rooms were connected by winding corridor streets. It is literally impossible to comprehend that this titanic work of creating a developed city inside a stone rock was done by ancient masters. After all, they had in their arsenal only the most primitive devices and tools for creating all this splendor.

The rock city has a multi-level structure; it has preserved many religious objects and cave structures. It was built over several millennia and at the peak of its development, Uplistsikhe consisted of more than 700 cave structures. But, unfortunately, only 150 of them have survived to this day.

Archaeological research of this place has been carried out since 1957 and continues to this day. The found artifacts can be seen; they are presented in the museum, right at the entrance to the fort. Among the museum's exhibits are numerous ancient tools, weapons, dishes and household items, as well as items of women's jewelry and other unique items. archaeological finds. Note that some areas of the ancient complex have not yet been developed, research has been suspended for the next archaeological expeditions.

A short excursion into the history of the ancient settlement will give you the opportunity to become aware of its true greatness and uniqueness.

The eventful and tragic history of Uplistsikhe

In the 1st millennium BC. e., Uplistsikhe was a cult and religious center, it was constantly growing and by the 4th century BC. became a full-fledged city. The settlement was located on the southern slope, where it occupied an area of about 9.5 hectares. In just a couple of decades, hundreds of rooms and structures were made in the rocks - temples, public and residential premises were carved. The city was equipped with a well-designed water supply system, was distinguished by numerous intricate streets and strong city gates.

Rock settlements are not typical, however, as for the entire Caucasus. All the more unique is this place, where very fine details have been preserved; the rooms were decorated with various architectural elements that imitated columns, ledges, beams, and caissons. Ancient craftsmen skillfully carved them into the thickness of the rock.

During the Hellenistic period, the main source of income for the city treasury was donations and cult sacrifices. Most Uplistsikhe was occupied by religious buildings; there were few residential buildings and they did not play a big role. Winemaking flourished; it also had cult significance - the wine produced was used in rituals. Then the city was surrounded by forests, grapes were imported from distant regions, raised along the southwestern slope into a large winepress, which has survived to this day. In the northern part of the settlement there was the main wine warehouse, which was called the Great Marani and which included 58 large karas. In addition to this wine storage, there were several other smaller ones.

In 337 Christianity was proclaimed state religion Georgia, and a bloody confrontation arose between the residents of Uplistsikhe, who remained faithful to paganism and the followers of Christianity. The inhabitants of the rock city were persecuted and executed; many premises, including the largest wine warehouse, were burned or destroyed in those days. And two pagan temples were converted into Christian churches.

As a result, the flow of pilgrims fell sharply, and donations practically stopped. The city has lost its former grandeur. The Mongol invasions in the 13th-14th centuries brought it to its final decline. During this dramatic period for the city, more than 5,000 residents were killed by Genghisid Hulagu.

The Uplistsuli Church has been preserved and is still functioning. Unfortunately, its primitive interior and paintings were desecrated in the 19th century, and today the ancient walls are covered with inscriptions left by Russian army soldiers, whose troops were stationed in the vicinity of the rock fort in 1848-1849.

The parts of the city today accessible to tourists are only half of the ancient complex. But even in this territory you will see the most interesting sights of Uplistsikhe:

the hall of Queen Tamara and the wine storage adjacent to it;
the Makvliani Temple, the largest surviving from the Hellenistic period (its area is approximately 300 sq.m.);
a temple with an extraordinary coffered ceiling;
Uplistsuli Church;
a secret tunnel leading to the Kura;
grape press, with depressions for draining juice and recesses for collecting cake;
a pharmacy with brick cells in which medicinal herbs and potions were stored;

How to get to Uplistsikhe

You have several options to get to this unique city:

Personal car. The road from Tbilisi to Uplestsikhi takes about 1 hour towards Gori (75 km), and a short time from Gori towards Kvernaki.
Taxi. From Gori to Uplistsikhe will cost you about 30 lari (about 17 dollars)
Route taxi. Departs from the bus station in Gori and goes to Kvakhvreli.
Bus. It runs directly between Gori and Uplestsikhe.
Electric train. It departs from Tbilisi to Uplestsikhi early in the morning every day, check the schedule upon arrival.

Let us add that you can also get from Tbilisi to Gori by minibus, which goes from the Didube metro station.

The cost of a ticket to enter the territory of the ancient settlement is 3 lari (about 1.7 dollars). Various excursion options are available to visitors for a fee.

When coming to Georgia, be sure to visit the Uplestsikhe complex, this cradle of antiquity and history. You will undoubtedly enjoy leisurely wandering among the ancient walls, touching the eternal stones and imagining how the ancient people lived here, how this unique city was built in the rock, with what tenacity and skill people conquered the volcanic rocks, carving out halls of incredible scale at the same time and fine finishing details. Try to imagine what passions have been boiling here for centuries and, listening to the guide’s unhurried story, experience with all depth the fascinating moments in the history of this majestic city, unique in its splendor.

Photo review of cave city Vardzia (Vardzia), one of the most amazing attractions of Samtskhe-Javakheti and all of Georgia.

Landscapes of Samtskhe-Javakheti

Vardzia is considered one of the main attractions of Georgia: a high rock rises above the Kura River and dozens of natural and man-made caves are visible in its steep wall, like floors. Moreover, if dozens are visible from the banks of the Kura, then in fact there are hundreds of them - the rock city consists of approximately 600 caves of natural and artificial origin and stretches along the river for about a kilometer.

The Vardzia cave complex looks like a rock one - however, it is located much further from Tbilisi: in the picturesque valley of the Kura River. In addition, Vardzia is “younger”: if David Gareji is the “early Middle Ages”, then Vardzia is the Georgian “golden age”.

Cave City Vardzia

The history of the emergence of Vardzia is typical for the Caucasus - both Armenian and Georgian arose under similar circumstances. The country was constantly subject to raids by its foreign neighbors and to survive it required an impregnable fortress capable of protecting as many civilians as possible and accommodating a garrison.

And in this part of Georgia, nature presented people with a gift: there was no need to build a fortress, it actually already existed, all that was required was to inhabit the rock caves. People have lived in those caves since time immemorial, and during the reign of Queen Tamara, the development of Vardzia as a fortified city was approached on a state scale: many caves were expanded and landscaped, the Assumption Church was built, which later grew into the famous rock Vardzia Monastery.

Over the course of twenty years, a dozen more churches, a library, baths were built in the cave city, a sewerage system was laid, and secret passages were extended. Currently, some caves go tens of meters deep into the rock, and the city of Vardzia has eight “floors” in height.

Queen Tamara herself spent some time in Vardzia in prayer, accompanying her husband to the battle with the Seljuks, from which he emerged victorious.

During its heyday, Vardzia was an “invisible city”: what is now visible from the banks of the Kura River was hidden from view by an outer wall of rock, which later collapsed as a result of a strong earthquake and exposed the “insides” of the unique cave city.

The origin of the name Vardzia has its own legend: according to it, Tamara, while still a little girl, walked through the caves with her uncle and called out to him: “Ak var, dzia!” - “I’m here, uncle!” Adults liked the consonance and took root as the name of the cave city. However, historians do not agree with this version of the origin of the name: in their opinion, the word “vardzia” comes from “varj” - that was the Persian name for the ancient Georgian Kartvelians.

The modern city of Vardzia is only a small part of that gigantic cave complex that served as shelter and protection for thousands of people; it repeatedly suffered from earthquakes (for example, in the 12th century, about two-thirds of the city was destroyed) and from invaders - the Persians and Turks. For example, in the 16th century, Vardzia was captured by the Turks and after that ceased to exist as an inhabited city.

More than two centuries later ancient city was recaptured from the Turks by the Russian army, after which it was restored and the Orthodox monastery of Vardzia resumed work there. Under Soviet rule, it was closed again, but the cave city of Vardzia itself functioned as a museum-reserve. After Georgia gained independence, the monastery was restored again and now the Vardzia complex can be conditionally divided into two parts: the secular part, where you can freely go on excursions, and the monastic part, the entrance to which is closed to tourists.

One of the most striking attractions of the city of Vardzia is Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built under Queen Tamara:

Opposite the temple you can see preserved frescoes depicting Tamara and her father (and at one time co-ruler of Georgia) George III.

In the middle tourist route there is an observation deck from which one of the best views to the rock city of Vardzia itself and the natural beauty that surrounds it:

After observation deck The path leads to the exit through a dark, inclined tunnel with steps.

On the way to the exit we came across the following representatives of the local fauna:

I don’t know how dangerous they are - we thought it best not to check.

In addition to the cave city of Vardzia itself, there is another cave temple Vanis-Kvabebi (Vani’s Caves). This is something like a “light version” of the Vardzia complex.

In addition, 4 km north of Vardzia, a lonely mountain rises Tmogvi fortress VI century. The road there is very difficult, especially in summer in hot weather. The Tmogvi fortress is interesting because it was here that Queen Tamara resolved an “intra-family conflict” with her first Russian husband George on the battlefield, and also because the fortress once belonged to the Shalikashvili family: one of its living representatives is John Shalikashvili, chairman of the united US Army Chiefs of Staff. Going to Tmogvi only makes sense if you decide to spend the night near Vardzia - and a cozy guesthouse is very suitable for these purposes Tirebi in the village of Nakalakevi.

How to get to the cave city of Vardzia (Vardzia)

On public transport: minibuses to Vardzia from Akhaltsikhe run 4 times a day: 10:30, 12:20, 16:00 and 17:30, price 7 GEL. Back to Akhaltsikhe, the last minibus from Vardzia leaves at 18:00.

From Akhaltsikhe by car:

From Akhaltsikhe you need to go southeast along the E691 road in the direction of Akhalkalaki. 14 km after the city of Aspindza, the road splits into two: the left one goes to Akhalkalaki, the right one goes to Vardzia (S58), it goes further along the Kura River. Reference point - Khertvisi fortress at the confluence of the Paravani River with the Kura, coordinates for the GPS navigator: N41°28.751; E43°17.121.

Khertvisi Fortress

Coordinates for the GPS navigator of the city of Vardzia: N41°22.716; E43°17.015. Distance: from Akhaltsikhe 70 km towards the Armenian border, from Tbilisi - 271 km.

Transfer to the cave city of Vardzia from the GoTrip online service

The most convenient way to get to Vardzia from major cities Georgia - order a comfortable transfer on the Georgian website GoTrip. Prices there are often lower than those of street taxi drivers, and at the booking stage you have the opportunity to choose a specific driver and car brand, depending on the reviews of previous passengers. Considering the horseman driving style of Georgian street taxi drivers and their not always serviceable cars, this is a very useful option. The price on the website is final, you won’t have to bargain with anyone.

...It so happened that on the day we went to Vardzia, it was my birthday, and the “holiday program” turned out to be extremely eventful: in the morning, an inspection of the largest medieval cave in Georgia, then a trip to the cave city of Vardzia, and from there half a countries in Tbilisi. From Vardzia to Tbilisi we had to go again through Akhaltsikhe, Borjomi and Khashuri - if there is a shorter road from there to Tbilisi (judging by the map, it clearly should be), then our navigator knew nothing about it, as well as the local residents interviewed - so the journey to Tbilisi via Akhaltsikhe and Khashuri took more time than planned; we arrived in Tbilisi already at dusk.

Upon arrival in Tbilisi, we checked into excellent guesthouse almost in the center of the city - the owner, having learned about the birthday, treated him to wonderful homemade chacha - “wow, save it for yourself!” After drinking, we went to the nearest restaurant for a snack: this time the choice fell on Megrelian kharcho (this is not a soup, but a “second course” - beef in nut sauce) and eggplant. The dishes were excellent, and the night Tbilisi once again pleasantly surprised us. An amazingly beautiful and cozy city - at least in those parts where we walked. This was my third visit to Tbilisi, and each time the city evoked the most pleasant emotions in me.

This is one of the first cities in Georgia. Over more than three thousand years, more than 700 caves were carved out here in a huge sandstone rock, of which about 150 have survived to this day.

1. Uplistsikhe is located 12 km from Gori downstream of the Kura. On the way to it there is a modern cable-stayed bridge.

2. Sandstone cliffs hang over the road.

3. The city arose at the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 1st millennium BC, experienced several ups and downs, and was finally abandoned only in the 19th century.

4. After man developed the fertile lands of present-day Georgia in the Bronze Age, the pagan cult center of the area was initially located on the Katlaniskhevi hill, located three kilometers west of Uplistsikhe. After a strong fire on Katlaniskhevi, at the very beginning of the Iron Age, the cult center moved here.

5. In Uplistsikhe they worshiped a female solar deity, whose symbol later became the wheel.

6. This is what the main street of Uplistsikhe looks like now, which in the 4th century BC. became a city.

7. And this is the Sacred Road, passing to the city from the southeast. To the right of it rises the city wall, which is a sheer cliff.

8. Reservoir for water drainage.

9. At the end of the 1st - beginning of the 2nd century AD. Several hundred different structures were carved into the rocks, including temples, public buildings and residential buildings. The walls of some of them are still covered with soot from the fireplaces.

10. The growth of Uplistsikhe is associated with the formation of Iberia - the East Georgian kingdom, the capital of which was Mtskheta. Uplistsikhe was a temple city, the main cult center of Iberia.

11. Here are the remains of the most ancient altars on the southwestern edge of the city. Archaeologists have discovered multi-layered traces of animal sacrifices here.

12. Remnants are visible at the bottom of the frame ancient temple, which was later rebuilt into a three-nave Christian basilica. In the center there is a sacrificial pit for the worship of chthonic deities, covered with a modern lattice.

13. The pits had a diameter from one to four meters, the depth of some of them reached 12 meters. Here is one of these pits, polluted by modern tourists.

14. Now almost the only permanent residents of the city are numerous lizards.

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16. This reptile is in the process of molting.

17. Many rock-cut rooms are decorated with imitation wooden or stone beams, columns and other architectural elements. In this sense, Uplistsikhe is similar to the Nabataean Petra.

18. Famous place city - a temple “with caissons”.

19. In the structure of Uplistsikhe, typical features of a city of the Hellenistic period can be traced: a protective ditch and walls protecting the city in those areas where there are no natural obstacles; paved roads; a tunnel going down to the river; water supply and wastewater disposal system.

20. According to ancient tradition, the city not only had a secret tunnel, but also four entrances, oriented to the cardinal points. The northwestern and northeastern gates had a clearly symbolic meaning and were not used in practice, since they faced steep cliffs that protected Uplistsikhe from the north.

21. The construction of premises in the city took place in two stages: first, rough gouging of the rock took place, then fine grinding of the stone to the required shape. Lapping used water and an abrasive stone, and this process not only gave the rock the required shape, but also applied a reliable protective layer to the surface of the sandstone.

22. Stairs in the city deserve a separate discussion. These could have been hollowed out tiny niches.

23. Here is a more “advanced” option.

24. There were these, wriggling, with narrow, uncomfortable steps.

25. But there were also full, wide and comfortable stairs.

26. Religion in Uplistsikhe was a typical set of polytheistic beliefs of its time: worship of the Sun deity, other heavenly bodies and the entire pantheon of Georgian pagan gods, including the gods of the earth, underground, water, etc.

27. Makvliani Temple is the largest (with an area of 300 m²) of the surviving temples of the Hellenistic period. Larger pagan temples were rebuilt into Christian churches.

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31. The walls of the “Beautiful Temple” are covered with numerous niches and openings.

32. Caissons on the ceiling of one of the temples.

33. Tomaz Sanikidze, one of the leading archaeologists of the settlement, described the course of the religious holiday in Hellenistic Uplistsikhe based on the results of excavations:
“The priests placed a figurine of the goddess in a place of honor, began to ring bells and rattle rattles, spin the wheels, the spikes of which, touching the rivet, made a terrifying roar. They baked sacred bread with imprints of clay seals, slaughtered sacrificial animals and, after sprinkling the meat with holy water, cooked it over a sacred fire. They poured libations in honor of the deity with sacred wine from a large cellar, sang hymns, praising the ruler and thanking the Lord for the life and well-being given to them, and at dusk they performed a mystery in one of the temples.”

34. A carved face on one of the walls.

35. “The Hall of Queen Tamara” was built in the Hellenistic era, and in the Middle Ages it was converted into a royal residence.

36.

37. In 337, after the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion in Georgia, an acute confrontation arose between the pagan Uplistsikhe and the first Christians.

38. The priests and residents of Uplistsikhe were persecuted, part of the city’s premises were destroyed and burned, and Christian churches arose on the site of the two main pagan temples.

39. The temple of the sun, located at the very top of the city, was rebuilt into a church. Another pagan temple, the largest in area, overlooking the “Central Square”, was rebuilt in the 6th century into a Christian basilica with an area of about 400 m².

40. But for a long time, secret worship of pagan deities continued in Uplistsikhe. Archaeologists have discovered closed rooms where, even after the introduction of Christianity, small religious rituals and animal sacrifices continued to take place.

41. In general, with the introduction of Christianity, the very importance of Uplistsikhe naturally fell sharply, the flow of donations stopped, and the number of pilgrims sharply decreased. The city was reduced in importance to an ordinary fortress.

42. In the early Middle Ages, the main site of Uplistsikhe was completely built new church, which is called the “Uplistsuli Church” (Church of the Prince). This building dates back to the 10th-11th centuries.

43. Behind the temple, oblong niches are hollowed out in the rock. Perhaps these are traces of Christian burials.

44. In the 9th century, a sharp change occurred in the life of Uplistsikhe, and he again began to play a major role in the life of Georgia. At this time, the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, was in the hands of the Arabs, and Uplistsikhe became the main center of the kingdom, the subject of the struggle for influence and the throne.

45. In the 9th-10th centuries, Uplistsikhe was actually the main city of the kingdom of Kartli; its population during this period reached 20 thousand people.

46. During this period, the Kura River, which in the most ancient period of the city’s history washed the rock from the northwest, had already changed its course, and a large area of fertile land formed on the northwestern side, where a settlement also arose.

47. Now tourists are visiting the ruins of medieval buildings from high cliffs in the west of the cave city.

48. In the XIII-XIV centuries, Uplistsikhe was destroyed by a series of Mongol campaigns and after that ceased to play any significant role in state life.

49. The settlement on the banks of the Kura River existed until 1968, when, at the insistence of archaeologists, local authorities resettled residents to the surrounding villages.

50. There is an old abandoned cemetery nearby.

51. Some travelers XIX centuries noted the presence in Uplistsikhe of people who were called troglodytes, probably due to their simple way of life and due to the fact that they literally lived in caves already covered by the earth. In 1920, many buildings in Uplistsikhe were damaged due to a strong earthquake. Since this period, no one has settled in the settlement.

52. Now only cows graze on the banks of the Kura River, where the life of the medieval city once boiled.

53. At the end we will go through a secret tunnel leading from the city to the river bank.

54. The exit from the tunnel is hidden in the place where the rock comes closest to the shore.

55. The Kura carries its muddy waters past.

56. There is a small one working at the settlement Archaeological Museum, where you can not only get acquainted with artifacts from excavations, but also watch a short documentary in English.

In this post I’ll tell you about one popular attraction in Georgia – the cave city of Uplistsikhe.

In total, there are three cave cities on the territory of Georgia - David Gareji, Uplistsikhe and Vardzia. The easiest way to get to Uplistsikhe, this cave city is located about 100 km from the capital of Georgia - Tbilisi.

How to get to Uplistsikhe

If you think about what you can see in the vicinity of Tbilisi, then without a doubt go to Uplistsikhe. Getting to Uplistsikhe is not difficult. You need to follow the road from Tbilisi in the direction of Kutaisi. The road to Uplistsikhe is an excellent high-speed highway almost all the time, and only the last 12 km is just a narrow, flat, good road.

First you need to get to the town of Gori, and after turning to Gori, after 12 km you will reach your cherished goal.

How much does it cost to enter Uplistsikhe?

Entrance fee for an adult - 5 GEL

Entrance fee for students and schoolchildren - 1 GEL

The cost of the audio guide is 10 GEL

Guided tour on site – 25 GEL

Description of Uplistsikhe and my impressions

The name Uplistsikhe is translated from Georgian as “Fortress of God” or “Fortress of the Lord,” and the city itself is one of the first cities on the territory of Georgia, and it arose at the end of the 2nd beginning of the 1st millennium BC.

What is Uplistsikhe? This is a complex of caves carved into the rock. In its heyday, the Uplistsikhe territory consisted of more than 700 caves and other rock structures, but in our time only about 150 of them have survived. Residential buildings, public buildings, temples and other infrastructure were built here: streets, city fortifications and gates, a tunnel, wells and drains.

Uplistsikhe for his centuries-old history has experienced several ups and downs, and is currently one of the most important historical monuments Georgian culture. Uplistsikhe is a layering of different eras.

Previously, Uplistsikhe was a temple city and was the main cult center of the East Georgian kingdom - Iberia. The city existed mainly due to religious donations; they were also engaged in winemaking. Previously, there were many wine presses here, and there was also a large wine storage facility.

Now on the territory of Uplistsikhe you can only observe such interesting jugs. Who knows, maybe it was in them that the city residents stored wine in ancient times.

After Christianity became the state religion in Georgia, confrontations began and the residents of Uplistsikhe were persecuted. At that time, many buildings in the city were destroyed, and Christian churches were erected on the site of pagan buildings.

Now on the territory of Uplistsikhe there is a small church called Uplistsuli.

In the 13th-15th centuries, Uplistsikhe was destroyed by Mongol raids, the fortress walls were completely destroyed, and the forests surrounding the city were burned. After this, Uplistsikhe ceased to be a city and lost its significance. The cave city has since been used as a temporary settlement and shelter. Residents finally abandoned the rock city in the 19th century.

These are the landscapes you can see by climbing the walls of Uplistsikhe these days. One can only imagine that once this entire area was covered with forests. But even this slightly wild and naked nature looks extremely photogenic.

Uplistsikhe is located in a seismically active region, and was heavily damaged by earthquakes in the first half of the 20th century. Another earthquake, which occurred in 2000, further damaged some buildings in Uplistsikhe.

Since the mid-20th century, Uplistsikhe has become a tourist attraction, but currently there is a threat of further destruction of the buildings due to constant erosion of the sandstone.

In general, walking around the territory of Uplistsikhe is very interesting, you just need to turn on your imagination, and you already imagine yourself as one of local residents that era.

Children will especially like Uplistsikhe, because here you can climb on stones to your heart’s content and get into almost every room, you just need to be quite careful, the stones are quite slippery.

Walking around Uplistsikhe you can see main street, central square and several temples, the remains of walls, wells, some utility rooms such as pharmacies and warehouses, and a winepress. The most spectacular building in Uplistsikhe is the Temple of Queen Tamara, but it so happened that we did not take photographs of the main attraction of Uplistsikhe.

Although we did not use the services of guides, a local dog, whom we named Valera, performed this role brilliantly. Valera became our guide and cheerfully accompanied us throughout the inspection of Uplistsikhe. Of course, we didn’t understand anything from his story, because Valera is a Georgian dog, after all, but it was still fun.

The tour of the rock town of Uplistsikhe ends with a descent through a small tunnel in the rock. Of course, this tunnel is not as picturesque as in the rock city, but it also deserves attention.

We were pleased with our visit to Uplistsikhe. If you are vacationing in the vicinity of Tbilisi, be sure to go there; the trip will be interesting, and most importantly, not tiring.

I recommend visiting Uplistsikhe at a time of day when it is not yet (or no longer) hot, since the complex is located in an open space and there is practically nowhere to hide from the sun.
Take water with you, it will come in handy here: the heat and constant steps can get very tiring.
Wear comfortable shoes, preferably closed ones. In Uplistsikhe you will constantly have to go up and then down again along numerous steps and passages.
Spend some money and purchase an audio guide; with this device, exploring Uplistsikhe will become more interesting. There are about 40 signs on the territory of the complex where you can stop and listen useful information about a specific object. We could only guess what this or that room of this rock city was intended for.
You can easily join any excursion group and listen to information absolutely free. Uplistsikhe - very popular place, and every day it is visited by crowds of both independent tourists and organized groups, including Russian-speaking ones.
Not far from the parking lot in front of the entrance to Uplistsikhe there is small area for relax. There are picnic areas (tables and benches under a canopy) where you can take a short break after exploring the complex.

Comparison of Uplistsikhe and Vardzia

Pros of visiting Uplistsikhe :

Proximity to the capital of Georgia - Tbilisi

You can go to Uplistsikhe for one day, see the cave city, and return back in the evening. Vardzia is much further away and you are unlikely to be able to go there and return back to Tbilisi in one day

Uplistsikhe is a smaller copy of Vardzia, and visiting this rock city seemed less tiring to me

Pros of visiting Vardzia

Vardzia is the largest rock city in Georgia.

Vardzia is considered the most spectacular cave city, and Uplistsikhe is a smaller copy of Vardzia. Although the buildings in these two cities are almost identical.

In Vardzia, I was personally very impressed by the long tunnel cut into the cave, which ends the inspection of the rock complex. There is also a tunnel in Uplistsikhe, but it is much less spectacular.
The area in which the cave city of Vardzia is located is very picturesque, and the road to Vardzia will pleasantly please the eye. The landscape here is something special and unlike any other region of Georgia.

In conclusion, I would like to note that although Vardzia is considered the most spectacular cave city in Georgia, Uplistsikhe pleased me no less. Uplistsikhe is compact and beautiful and attractive in its own way.

- a cave city in Georgia near the city of Gori. These two places are usually visited together, fortunately they are only 12 km from each other. Stalin was born in Gori, it’s great to come here and be nostalgic for Soviet times, and Uplistsikhe is interesting for its ancient history and quite unusual.

Hotels in Gori

You can come for one day and go back to spend the night in Tbilisi, but if you are smoothly moving to the west of Georgia and do not intend to return to the capital, then you can find accommodation for the night in Gori.

How to get to Uplistsikhe from Tbilisi?

By public transport

To get to Uplistsikhe, you must first get to the city of Gori. In Tbilisi, go to the Didube bus station (at the metro station of the same name), from there minibuses run every 30 minutes to Gori from morning to evening. The fare is 4 GEL, and the journey is a little over an hour.

Shared taxis go along the same route; travel costs 5 GEL, but it is more comfortable and faster. You can get to Gori by train, but they don’t go as often, and the cost is the same, and in general it’s inconvenient.

From the bus station in Gori, buses run several times a day to the village of Kvakhvreli (1 lari, 20 minutes), from there it is about 2 km to Uplistsikhe on foot. The last bus back leaves around 18:00, don’t miss it, it’s so wilderness there that you can’t even catch a taxi! A taxi from Gori to Uplistsikhe and back with a wait will cost 25-30 GEL.

By taxi

A taxi from Tbilisi to Uplistsikhe will cost 80-90 GEL for the whole car one way, and such a transfer is possible.