GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Askana Castle

Ornate towers guarding Guria's rebellious soul

Askana Castle

Why go

Askana Castle rises from the subtropical hills of western Georgia as the 19th-century seat of the Dadiani-Gurieli princes, a noble house that ruled this Black Sea hinterland with fierce independence. Built 1850s–1870s, its eclectic architecture—Persian-inspired arcades, European balustrades, and defensive crenellations—reflects Guria's position between empires and its merchants' global reach. The castle became a symbol of resistance: in 1905, Gurian peasants launched one of the Russian Empire's largest uprisings from these lands. Today the museum holds manuscripts, weaponry, and ethnographic treasures that trace a region where Orthodox Christianity met Laz and Megrelian traditions, and where every household once kept arms against Ottoman, Persian, and Russian claims alike.

On the ground See

  • The castle's seven distinct towers, each with unique decorative brickwork and panoramic views across the Supsa River valley toward the Black Sea
  • The 1905 Gurian Republic exhibition, documenting the short-lived peasant self-government that made this region famous across revolutionary Europe
  • The manuscript room's 16th–19th century liturgical and legal texts, many written in the distinctive Gurian dialect of Georgian

Practical Know before you go

Best visited April–June or September–October; from Ozurgeti, marshrutkas run to Lanchkhuti (30 min), then taxi or 4km walk to the castle, which keeps irregular hours so confirm opening days with the Ozurgeti Museum of Local History.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly