Add dates

Kutaisi Culture & history

Our most recommended Kutaisi Culture & history

Tbilisi: Soviet Chiatura - Katskhi Column -Mgvimevi Convent

1. Tbilisi: Soviet Chiatura - Katskhi Column -Mgvimevi Convent

If you are interested in Soviet history and architecture, Chiatura is waiting for you. Known for its extensive network of Soviet-era cable cars, Soviet-style apartment blocks dominate Chiatura. Visit ghosts of the past in the Cable Car City of Georgia. You arrive in Chiatura at 12:10 and explore mesmerizing Mgvimevi Convent, a working nunnery, and church embedded in the side of a rocky cliff. There are beautiful stone engravings, a glass box displaying three human skulls and other relics, and a small chapel with beautiful frescoes and a wooden iconoclast. It takes around 15 minutes to scale the stairs. After Mgvimevi Convent, you will go to a local place where you will have a delicious lunch. The next place is Katskhi Column. The great church where daring monks climb closer to God. Katskhi Column (Katskhi Pillar) is a more than 40-meter-tall limestone pillar with an Orthodox monastery perched on top, built in the 6th to 8th centuries. And the last destination for this tour is a cable car. You will take a cable car to an old Soviet Pioneer Palace, enjoy the stunning views, and feel the soviet spirit. After exploring all the historical places, you will return to Tbilisi and finish the tour at 21:00.

1 activities found
Sort by:

Frequently asked questions about Kutaisi

What top attractions are a must-see in Kutaisi?

The must-see attractions in Kutaisi are:

Other Sightseeing Options in Kutaisi

Want to discover all there is to do in Kutaisi? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Kutaisi

Overall rating

5.0 / 5

based on 6 reviews

the day we had chosen to take the trip there were just 2 travelers, my friend and me, so we were given a ride in a brand new and spacious private car. Sally, the enthusiast guide and Georgi, the discreet and careful driver were the best one could get. Sally who spoke fluent english, had been in chiatura many times before and she was quite knowledgeable of the history and the city details. I think that Chiatura constitutes a typical representation of a soviet era mining town, though semi-abandoned today, after the mining operations have been reduced to a minimum. Its characteristics are the numerous cable cars that crisscross the sky connecting different neighborhoods, kind of flying taxis. Apart from the moody atmosphere, the town is set in a very picturesque landscape, inside a valley with a river crossing it.

Sally was wonderful!! As soon as she picked us up she enquirer as to what would interest us the most and what we really would like to see and get out of the tour. Sally made sure that we got to see sights that we would never have been able to find on our own and was a pleasure to spend a day with. She is full of lots of interesting stories and history. Chiatura was exactly what we were expecting and it is really worth the visit!! Thanks for the great day..

This is a fantastic tour with lots of interesting stops. My favourite tour in Georgia…and we have had some amazing ones before. Our guide was awesome and we had a great day.

A very nice tour that shows a less known part of the country. I was the only one going that day; that made it extra special. ;-)

Really exciting and interesting tour. Really enjoyable. Highly recommend. Have taken tonnes of pictures