Why go
Shavnabada rises 770 meters above Tbilisi's sea of Soviet blocks and church domes, crowned by a massive metal cross visible from much of the capital. The name derives from medieval Georgian—'shavnabada' refers to the black-robed monks who once maintained a monastery here, destroyed and rebuilt across centuries. Today's pilgrims and hikers climb the steep trail for revelation in both senses: the 360-degree view stretches from the snow-capped Trialeti range to the Mtkvari River's silver bend, while the cross itself was erected in 1997 as a symbol of national spiritual renewal after Soviet suppression. Come at dusk when the city below ignites and the cross catches the last amber light.