Vanis Kvabebi

Vanis Kvabebi is a monastery cut into a cliff face a few kilometres before Vardzia, and it is older, begun in the eighth century, with caves at several levels linked by passages, stairs cut in the rock and, in one place, a tunnel that climbs inside the cliff to an upper terrace. A defensive wall was thrown across the front in the twelfth century and a church stands on the terrace. It is far less visited than Vardzia and much less managed, which means clambering, low passages and drops without railings, and it gives a better sense of what these cliff monasteries were like before restoration. The valley below opens out toward the Mtkvari.

What you actually see

• Caves on several levels - chambers linked by passages and cut stairs.
• The internal climbing tunnel - the passage rising inside the cliff.
• The twelfth-century defensive wall - the front thrown across the caves.
• A terrace church - the building on the upper level.

When to go

April to October. Two hours. It is easily combined with Vardzia further up the road. Bring a torch for the tunnels and shoes with grip.

Honest expectations

Passages are dark, low and awkward, with unfenced drops and loose ground; it is not suitable for small children or anyone unsteady. There is no lighting and little interpretation. The climb from the road is steep.

Nearby

Vardzia is south; Khertvisi lies north down the gorge.