Telavi

Telavi has been the centre of Kakheti since the seventeenth century, when the royal court moved here, and its main sight is Batonis Tsikhe, the walled palace complex of the Kakhetian kings with its residence, churches, bath and museum, standing in the middle of the town. Beside it grows a plane tree said to be around nine hundred years old, with a trunk that takes several people to encircle. The market is one of the busiest in eastern Georgia, selling wine, churchkhela, cheese and produce from the surrounding villages, and the town sits high enough to look across the Alazani valley to the Caucasus. It is the practical base for Kakheti.

What you actually see

• Batonis Tsikhe palace - the walled royal complex in the town centre.
• The nine-hundred-year plane tree - the great trunk beside the palace.
• The market - wine, cheese, churchkhela and produce from the villages.
• Views across the Alazani - the valley and the mountains beyond.

When to go

April to October; harvest in September and October is the liveliest season. A day, or as a base for several. Museums close on Mondays.

Honest expectations

The town outside the palace and market is plain. Museum displays are dated. Accommodation fills at harvest. Marshrutkas from Tbilisi are cramped and the mountain road is winding.

Nearby

Tsinandali is south-east; Alaverdi and Ikalto lie west.