2 / 5 - One review
How to get there
2 hours from Tbilisi by car or public transport
When to go
All year round
Minimum stay
One day
Gurjaani (Georgia)
©
Nicolas Landru
Practical information on Gurjaani
Reviews of Gurjaani
Gurjaani, a town that looks very Soviet, is the economic capital of Kakheti. Wine growing is a deep rooted part of their culture and the locals are at their most pleasant during the grape harvest and at table.
My suggestion:
Don't miss the wonderful Khvelatsminda church only 3 km from Gurjaani, a rare church with two bell towers.
My review
Because of its dynamic inhabitants, in only a few decades Gurjaani has become bigger, both geographically and economically, than the capital of Kakheti, Telavi. According to people who live in Tbilisi, Gurjaani is where the most typical Kakhetis live: proud, dark, sanguine temperament, lovers of wine and song, friendship and respect for men with "big manly bellies" (katsuri katsis).
If you are invited to eat with some locals, at Gurjaani you will probably have the most picturesque Supra . These enormous banquets, studded by toasts which require you to drain your glass of wine, and polyphonic Kakheti singing, will touch your soul when you are least expecting it. I can testify to it because I was lucky enough to experience it in Gurjaani and during the grape harvest as well!
If you don't manage to get invited to a Supra you will probably find Gurjaani less interesting. Although the views of the Greater Caucasus are beautiful, like everywhere in Kakheti, the town is not very charming and there's not much to attract visitors. Except the soul of its inhabitants.
©
Nicolas Landru
