Shida Kartli Travel Guide

Georgia

'The sunset over Mtkvari River, the smoke rising from the village homesteads, and one of the most extraordinary and powerful feels I’ve ever come across: this place has soul!'
'The sunset over Mtkvari River, the smoke rising from the village homesteads, and one of the most extraordinary and powerful feels I’ve ever come across: this place has soul!'
View of a staircase inside of the Stalin Museum in Gori, Georgia. Gori is a relatively small town located about 80 kilometers from Tbilisi. Joseph Stalin (his last name is a play on the Russian word for "steel" - his real last name was the Georgian surname of Jugashvili) was born and raised in Gori, and this museum houses both the small boarding house he was born in, and his train car. It's certainly worth a visit if you're in Georgia. Price is 10 GEL for a ticket - and they have english speaking tour guides available. I'll let you make up your own mind about the politics of the place, but I will say that the tour had some laugh out loud understatements like: "Stalin and the Soviet mades some mistakes, such as the forced collectivization of agriculture in Ukraine." I would bet Germans would probably be the most interested - if you've ever been to Germany you'd understand what I mean.
Sunshine on the rocks - view from the Uplistsikhe cave complex near Gori, Georgia. Uplistsikhe is an ancient fortress settlement that sits up on a hill in a river valley. For a small fee you can climb up a set of stairs and explore what's left on this ancient settlement. It features an excellent view of the surrounding area.
The bathroom of Stalin's railroad car. A visit to the Joseph Stalin Museum in Gori, Georgia also includes a tour of Stalin's old railway car. Stalin was terrified of flying, and apparently went everywhere he needed to go in a bulletproof train. This is the train that Stalin took to a whole host of conferences during World War II.

Popular cities in Shida Kartli

Gori
Gori
Known for Churches, Cathedrals and Historical
Quaint Gori awaits: its churches, history, riverfront and more!

Reasons to visit

  • Joseph Stalin Museum
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Kaspi
Kaspi
Check out the local area in Kaspi as you venture to sights like Kvatakhevi Monastery.
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