Kakheti

Kakheti is the eastern part of Georgia, its main wine cellar and open-air museum of the Middle Ages. Today the region looks emphasized pastoral, but in the era of the Iberian kingdom life here was eventful and full of military conflicts. In addition, it was with Kakheti that the Christianization of Georgia began, leaving behind an incredible number of ancient monasteries that attract pilgrims.

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Video: Kakheti

Contents

General Information

Eastern Georgia is the place where you should first have a proper drink in the wineries and then sincerely repent of the “sin of wine drinking” in the numerous monasteries. One of the highlights of Kakheti is the heterogeneous development of tourist infrastructure. Here you can easily find both luxury resorts, “privatized” the most protected natural corners, and completely wild landscapes, to get to which – it is like going on a twisted quest for endurance.

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The architectural heritage of the region is not just objects of antiquity, but ultra-ancient structures, many of which are over 1,500 years old. To make it clearer: when Christian monasteries began to grow and multiply in Kakheti, the inhabitants of Kievan Rus still practiced the pagan traditions of their ancestors. From the war-filled past the region inherited formidable fortifications and citadels, which must be seen before restorers get to them – lately Georgia has been trying to put historical sights in order to please tourists, but it does not always do it professionally.

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‘ Kakhetia.

Climate. Best time to travel

‘ Georgia holds plus temperatures. Summer is warm, on average the air warms up to +24 °С. On the territory of Alazan valley weather conditions are similar to the climate of the southern part of Italian Alps. In addition, local soils are very favorable to grapevines, so most of the Georgian wines come from this area. The Jordan Plateau is a typical steppe with its dry heat in summer and frosts up to -3°C in winter, favorable for growing grain crops. The southeastern parts of Kakheti are considered the driest, while the northwestern part of the region is always sufficient in precipitation.

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Head to Kakheti from June to August to enjoy sun-scorched landscapes and laze on the shores of mystical lakes – Oreli, Kvareti, Martoti and others. For hiking and pilgrimage, summer is not the best season, as street thermometers in July show +30 ° C in the shade. Tourists dreaming to penetrate the culture of Georgian winemaking should take a vacation in autumn or at least in August, when the harvest festival begins. Do not worry, there will be no dreary inclement weather – only gentle sunshine, pleasant evening coolness and a sea of young wine. Before the November rains arrive, the natural locations are also epic, so an autumn tour of monasteries and villages of Kakheti will not leave you unimpressed.

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‘ Autumn in Kakhetihref=’/upload/iblock/bdc/Kakheti-winter.png’ Winter in Kakheti

Winters in the region are windy, but still beautiful. Especially impressive during this period look fortresses and temples, which are no longer hidden by lush vegetation, so winter vacations in Kakheti are quite justified. You can warm up after excursions along the trails chained with cold in wine cellars with a glass of red wine, as well as in spa hotels, lost in the most picturesque places of the region. Impressions of a spring tour of Kakheti can be spoiled by wet and unstable weather. On the other hand, a slight discomfort is too modest a price to pay for fantastic photo shoots in poppy-flowered valleys and the opportunity to see Georgia blossoming in every sense.

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