Tour: Signagi, Bodbe Monastery of St. Nino, Cradle of Wine

Travel Company WALKER
Tour highlights:

• Signagi
• Bodbe Monastery of St. Nino
• Cradle of Wine

Signagi– city of love, was built in the 18th century. It’s the most romantic city in Georgia.The town preserved its original image and now offers visitors stunning views of the surrounding Caucasus Mountains. It is the only city in Georgia that has fully preserved the fortress walls that are crowned with watchtowers, where one can climb to get the magnificent view of the Alazani valley. In 2007 Sighnaghi has turned into a European town with narrow cobbled streets, that are winding and steep, and districts full of one or two storey houses with bright red tiled roof in the style of South Italian classicism. Sighnaghi is called the city of lovers so there is a wedding house in town where one marry anytime. You will find many cosy places, hotels and hostels to your taste, street cafes and restaurants, where you can try the local finest wine and delicious food.

Bodbe Monastery of St. Nino (4th century) is a Georgian Orthodox monastic complex. It holds the tomb of St. Nino, the Cappadocian maiden who converted the Georgian people to Christianity. The Bodbe Monastery is nested among tall Cypress trees on a steep hillside overlooking the Alazani Valley, where it commands views of the Greater Caucasus mountains. The monastery had particular prominence in the late Middle Ages. It was particularly favored by the kings of Kakheti who made choice of the monastery as the place of their coronation. Pillaged by the troops of Shah Abbas I of Persia in 1615, the Bodbe monastery was restored by King Teimuraz I of Kakheti (r. 1605-1648). With the revival of monastic life in Bodbe, a theological school was opened. The monastery also operated one of the largest depositories of religious books in Georgia and was home to several religious writers and scribes. the Soviet government closed down the monastery and converted it into a hospital. In 1991, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Bodbe monastery was resumed as a convent. Restoration works were carried out between 1990 and 2000 and resumed in 2003.

CRADLE OF WINE

Kakheti is Georgia’s main wine-producing region in the country’s east. Wine grapes have been cultivated in these lands for 8,000 years, which, archaeologists say, makes Kakheti the cradle of wine. Each village in Kakheti’s fertile valleys makes its unique wine. But wine is not all that Kakheti has to offer – the rich history of the region has bequeathed to us some of Georgia’s finest examples of church architecture. Friendly environment, historic sites, beautiful nature and hospitality of  people makes visiting Kakheti always a pleasure.

T R A V E L     C O M P A N Y
“W A L K E R”