GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Gremi Citadel and Church of the Archangels

Where Kakheti's kings once held court

Gremi Citadel and Church of the Archangels

Why go

Gremi rises from emerald vineyards as a solitary red-brick sentinel, all that remains of the once-thriving capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti. Built in the 1460s by King Levan, this royal citadel commanded the Silk Road trade routes until Persian armies razed the surrounding city in the 1610s. The Church of the Archangels, with its distinctive three-chambered design and faded frescoes, still bears the weight of coronations and royal burials. Climb the slender bell tower for sweeping views over the Alazani Valley—vineyards, the Caucasus, and the silence of a vanished capital. It is history compressed into stone, haunting and intimate.

On the ground See

  • The Church of the Archangels, with original 15th-century frescoes of the Deesis and royal portraits
  • The three-story citadel tower, offering panoramic views from its battlements over the Alazani Valley
  • The small but excellent on-site museum housing archaeological finds from the destroyed city

Practical Know before you go

Best visited April–October; 2 hours by car from Tbilisi via the Tbilisi–Telavi highway, with no public transport directly to the site.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly