Located at 500–800 meters above sea level among the foothills of the Tsiv-Gombori range, the small city of Telavi can be reached in under two hours by car from Tbilisi. If you decide to venture out into the emerald-green countryside, then it is a good idea to pay a visit to Batonis Tsikhe - which translates to ‘fortress of the master’.

It was supposedly build by King Archil between 1667-75 and is considered to be the most well-preserved medieval royal palace in the entire country.

You can easily lose an entire afternoon in the complex, which is made up of a number of attractions - the 5 meter high limestone fortress wall; an imperial palace, which nowadays is a museum dedicated to King Erekle II - visitors have access to the King’s weapons, throne, bedrooms and living area; two churches which were built after the fortress, one being erected in 1758 by tsar Heraclius II and the other a few years earlier; and the tunnel, which historians believe was a secret exit and road leading to the structure.

TICKET: Adults 2 GEL, students – 1 GEL, schoolchildren – 0.50 GEL