GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Khikhani Fortress

Where clouds guard crumbling stone walls

Khikhani Fortress

Why go

Khikhani Fortress perches at 1,200 meters in the remote Shavsheti range, a 10th–13th century stronghold built to control trade routes between Adjara and Turkey. Its scattered towers and curtain walls cling to a razorback ridge above the Keda municipality, offering one of Georgia's most cinematic ruinscapes. The site matters because it embodies the fractured medieval history of this borderland—fought over by Georgian kings, Ottoman pashas, and local nobles. Worth the journey for the silence: no ticket booths, no crowds, just wind through arrow slits and the sense that you have discovered something almost forgotten.

On the ground See

  • The surviving northwest tower with its original medieval masonry and strategic views toward the Turkish border
  • The overgrown lower citadel where wild pear trees root between collapsed ramparts
  • The shepherd trails leading from Tskhmuravali village (4WD recommended) through old-growth beech forests

Practical Know before you go

Best visited May–October; the final 8km from Keda requires high-clearance vehicle or arranged 4WD taxi, and the steep final approach demands sturdy footwear.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly