GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Tskere

Silent towers guarding the Khada Gorge

Tskere

Why go

Tskere is one of four medieval fortified villages—alongside Shatili, Mutso, and Ardot—perched in the wild Khada Gorge, a side valley of the Military Highway that most travelers speed past. Its stone towers, built by the Khevsur highlanders between the 10th and 15th centuries, once served as both homes and defensive redoubts against invading armies. Unlike the more visited Shatili, Tskere remains largely unrestored and unpeopled, its ruins speaking without interpretation. The village offers rare, unmediated contact with Georgia's tradition of mountain fortification architecture, set against the severe beauty of the Greater Caucasus.

On the ground See

  • The half-ruined medieval defensive towers rising directly from the mountainside
  • The overgrown stone lanes and house foundations tracing the original village plan
  • The view down the Khada Gorge toward the confluence with the Aragvi River valley

Practical Know before you go

Best visited June through September; requires a high-clearance 4WD on rough track from the Military Highway near Korsha, or a full-day hike from Shatili with local guide recommended.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly