Vardzia

Vardzia is one of the most astonishing sights in Georgia, a vast cave monastery city carved directly into the sheer face of a mountainside in the remote south of the country. Excavated in the twelfth century under the great Queen Tamar, this remarkable complex once held hundreds of rooms, churches, chapels, wine cellars and tunnels on many levels, home to thousands of monks, hidden from invaders. Though an earthquake later sheared away its outer wall, exposing the honeycomb of caves, it remains an active monastery, with a beautifully frescoed main church.

What you actually see

• The cave city - the honeycomb of hundreds of rooms in the cliff.
• The Church of the Dormition - the main church and its medieval frescoes.
• The tunnels and cellars - the passages, chapels and wine cellars.
• The cliff setting - the vast complex carved into the mountainside.

When to go

May to October for the best weather to explore the exposed cliffside complex; it is a working monastery, so dress modestly at the church. It is remote in the south, so it is a long day trip or an overnight, often combined with the nearby Rabati fortress.

Honest expectations

It is remote, in the far south near the Turkish and Armenian borders, so reaching it is a long trip, best over a day or two combined with other sights like the restored Rabati castle. Exploring the caves involves walking, steps and some low tunnels. It is a working monastery, so modest dress is needed at the church. Its scale and setting, though, are genuinely astonishing.

Nearby

The Rabati fortress in Akhaltsikhe and the southern highlands are within reach.