Discover Samtskhe-Javakheti
Accommodation in Samtskhe-Javakheti
Samtskhe-Javakheti is an administrative region made up of the historical provinces of Samtskhe and Javakheti. Lakes, protected areas, an astrophysical observatory and cultural sites give the region its varied character. When choosing your holiday rental, consider which destinations you want your trip to focus on: nature watching, culture or active experiences. This way, your search reflects your travel group’s interests rather than a single image of the region.
Vardzia cave monastery carved into the rock face in Samtskhe-Javakheti.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Lakes, protected areas and varied landscapes
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park extends across Samtskhe-Javakheti, as well as Imereti and Shida Kartli. It is therefore not exclusive to this region. Javakheti Protected Areas represent a different kind of landscape: their features include lakes, unique marshes, and subalpine and alpine meadows. If you particularly want to experience these natural environments during your trip, you can make them a priority when choosing your destinations. At the same time, the fact that Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park extends across several regions helps you treat it as a distinct focus when planning your trip.
Javakheti Protected Areas include Javakheti National Park and the managed reserves of Bughdasheni, Khanchali, Madatapha, Sulda and Kartsakhi. From the birdwatching towers in the protected areas, you can observe 140 species of breeding and migratory birds. This makes birdwatching a specific consideration for trip planning: if you are interested in it, you can use the towers and the protected areas listed here as a guide when choosing your destinations. The landscape features and birdwatching offer different reasons to explore Javakheti Protected Areas.
Paravani Lake and active experiences
Paravani Lake is a volcanic-tectonic lake in Samtskhe-Javakheti. Ice fishing is possible on the lake, with whitefish as the main target. Another distinct activity is the 16-kilometre kayaking section on the Paravani River, which has an elevation drop of 435 metres and a difficulty level between 4 and 5. Its length, elevation drop and difficulty level give you specific details to weigh this tour idea against the other interests of your travel group.
Cultural sites and a distinctive history
Vardzia is designated an immovable cultural monument of national significance. A total of 242 caves are partly or fully preserved in present-day Vardzia. This number gives a clear sense of the site’s importance as a cultural focus without implying that all the preserved caves are in the same condition: the stated condition ranges from partly to fully preserved. Poka St. Nino Monastery also offers a historical connection and dates back to the 11th century. The Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory has been in operation since 1932. These three distinct subjects—the caves of Vardzia, the monastery and the observatory—allow you to take cultural and scientific interests into account when choosing your destinations.
Another distinctive feature of the region’s history is the Meskhetian houses in Samtskhe-Javakheti: they had underground darani tunnels that served as shelters in wartime. Their architecture is therefore another possible cultural interest alongside the monastery, caves and observatory. When choosing accommodation to suit your personal priorities, you can first decide whether natural areas, cultural sites or active experiences should be the deciding factor.
Getting there and finding your way around the region
For destinations such as Vardzia, Ninotsminda, Akhalkalaki and Akhaltsikhe, the route from Tbilisi follows the Southern Highway past Paravani Lake. The lake is therefore also a geographical reference point along this route. If you are planning your trip around one of the destinations listed, you can take this route information into account when finding your way around; however, it does not indicate the distance from your holiday rental to any particular destination.
More regional pages: Akhalkalaki, Bakuriani, Tba, Borjomi, Zanavi, Zarzma, Tsemi, Tsaghveri, Akhaltsikhe, Abastumani, Abuli, Likani, Aspindza, Didi Mitarbi, Nakalakevi, Bakurianis Andeziti and Tmogvi.
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