4 / 5 - One review
How to get there
2.5 hours from Tbilissi by car
When to go
All year round
Minimum stay
1 to 2 days
Rivière Alazani (Georgia)
©
Nicolas Landru
Practical information on Rivière Alazani
Reviews of Rivière Alazani
A big river in Eastern Georgia, the Alazani bathes the whole of Kakheti. From Akhmeta to Sighnaghi, the great wine-growing region of the country opens up along the water, at the foot of the picturesque Dagestan Mountains.
My suggestion:
A picnic, if possible with a Kakheti grill (meat marinated in pomegranate juice) and local wine, is strongly recommended on the wild banks of the Alazani, ideal for admiring Greater Caucasus and soaking up the natural Kakheti environment.
My review
My first discovery of the Alazani Valley, on a bright day in January, was made from the pleasant town of Sighnaghi, high in the hills, offering a striking view over this wine-making plain and over the snow topped mountains opposite us.
The Alazani River incarnates the identity of Kakheti better than any other feature, This tumultuous stream of water starting in Greater Caucasus snakes amongst the fields of pebbles that it has drained and creates a very oriental semi-arid landscape in its bed. On its left bank, the Dagestan Range imposes the mountainous atmosphere on the landscape. On the right bank, the Tsiv-Gombori Range provides sunny hills to the wine-growing region of Kakheti which produces the best Georgian wines with around fifty local varieties!
You must explore the whole valley which is full of historical and archaeological sites, fortresses, churches and medieval monasteries. Gremi Fortress, Alaverdi Cathedral, the monastery in Nekressi or the one in Chua Mta are all must sees in the country, direct products of the civilisation of this river which is so dear to its surrounding inhabitants.
©
Nicolas Landru
