Birtvisi Fortress

Birtvisi is a medieval fortress built into a maze of limestone cliffs and rock towers in the gorge of the Algeti river, on the southern slopes of the Trialeti range. Surviving walls, gates and ruined chambers are spread across about a square kilometre of crags, and the Sheupovari tower, whose name means impregnable, stands on the highest rock. The setting is what makes Birtvisi special: narrow passages, pinnacles and wooded ledges that make the walk feel like a small adventure. The area is protected as the Birtvisi Natural Monument, between about 1,110 and 1,400 metres.

The usual approach starts near the village of Tbisi, off the road between Partskhisi and Manglisi. A hike of about 5 km in total climbs through forest and rock, including a squeeze between two rock walls known as the Devi's Footprint, and some sections need your hands. Allow at least three hours, and go with a local guide or a GPS track the first time, as paths are not always obvious. Avoid it after heavy rain, when the rocks are slippery.

Birtvisi is first mentioned in the 11th century, when Georgian nobles took it from the Arab emir of Tbilisi, and it was famed as an impregnable stronghold guarding the Algeti gorge. King Bagrat IV brought it into the royal domain in 1060. Timur captured it in 1403 after a hard siege. Later it belonged to the Kingdom of Kartli and the Baratashvili princes, and it fell into ruin after the 17th or 18th century.