Birtvisi Canyon

Birtvisi is a small area of eroded limestone south-west of Tbilisi where the rock has broken into towers, fins and narrow clefts, forming a natural maze that medieval builders used: walls were run between the pinnacles to close the gaps, and the resulting fortress was regarded as impossible to take, with a tall rock known as the sheep tower at its centre. The ruins are scattered through the formation and reaching them involves scrambling through passages, over rock and up short climbs, with a fixed ladder in one place. It is a favourite of Tbilisi walkers and climbers. Route-finding is genuinely confusing and people get lost in it every year.

What you actually see

• Limestone towers and clefts - the natural maze the fortress used.
• Walls run between pinnacles - medieval building closing the gaps.
• The central rock tower - the pinnacle at the heart of the site.
• Scrambling passages - the narrow routes between the formations.

When to go

April to June and September to October; summer is hot and the rock is slippery in wet weather. A day. A guide or someone who knows the route is strongly advised.

Honest expectations

The maze is disorienting and people get lost here regularly, sometimes needing rescue. There is scrambling with exposure and no marked route. Phone signal is patchy. It is not a walk for anyone alone or inexperienced.

Nearby

Tetritskaro is north; Tbilisi lies north-east.