Another awesome weekend is in the books.
This time we picked up Latvian pilgrim Helmuts Noviks and headed west from Tbilisi toward one of the strangest and most fascinating regions in Georgia - Chiatura. But before reaching the rusty cable cars and fading Soviet facades, we made a stop at one of the country’s oldest settlements - the ancient cave town of Uplistsikhe.
Georgia never disappoints when it comes to mixing completely different timelines into a single road trip. One moment you are walking through caves carved into rock thousands of years ago, the next you are drinking Soviet-style lemonade for 1 GEL in a mining town hanging between the past and the future.
That’s exactly why I love traveling here.
First Stop: Uplistsikhe
Located near Gori, Uplistsikhe is one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia. The place dates back to the early Iron Age and once served as an important political, religious, and trade center.
Even after years of traveling around Georgia, places like this still impress me. Entire halls, tunnels, storage rooms, and passages carved directly into the rock. Walking through the caves, it’s hard not to think about how many civilizations passed through here long before modern Europe even existed.
Renee once again impressed us with her historical knowledge, especially while talking about Queen Tamar and Georgia’s golden age. Road trips become much more interesting when someone in the car actually remembers historical details better than random Google snippets.
The weather was perfect for exploring, and Uplistsikhe looked especially dramatic under the changing spring light.
Heading West
From there we continued deeper into western Georgia.
One of the best things about driving across Georgia is how quickly everything changes. Eastern Georgia’s dry landscapes slowly turn greener, mountains become steeper, and towns start carrying heavier traces of the Soviet industrial era.
The closer we got to Chiatura, the stranger the scenery became.
- Massive cliffs.
- Rusting factories.
- Cable cars crossing above the valley.
- Old apartment blocks stacked on hillsides.
- The whole region feels cinematic.
Chiatura — Between Soviet Past and Slow Revival
Chiatura is probably one of the most surreal towns in Georgia, but what surprised me the most during this trip was how much the place has actually improved.
The last time I visited Chiatura was about 10 years ago, and back then it still felt much more like a forgotten Soviet mining outpost stuck somewhere in the past. Crumbling buildings, aging infrastructure, rusty cable cars everywhere, and very little sign of renovation or investment.
Today, the town still carries that heavy Soviet atmosphere - and honestly, that’s part of its charm - but it no longer feels completely frozen in time.
Of course, Chiatura is not modern in the Western European sense. You still see old apartment blocks, industrial scars, and visible economic struggle. But the town center has changed significantly. Especially during summer, Chiatura can actually feel surprisingly lively and even a bit European.
Renovated parks, cleaner streets, outdoor cafes, new public spaces, and people enjoying warm evenings outside completely changed my impression of the city.
There’s now a fascinating contrast between old Soviet infrastructure and gradual modernization without losing the town’s identity.
And yes — somehow lemonade still costs just 1 lari.
That alone deserves respect in today’s inflationary world.
What I like most about Chiatura is that it still feels authentic. It hasn’t been overly polished for tourists. You can still sense the mining history, the Soviet legacy, and the raw atmosphere that made the place famous in the first place — but now combined with a much more pleasant and welcoming environment than I remembered from my previous visit a decade ago.
Honestly, visiting in summer is highly recommended. The surrounding cliffs turn green, the weather is pleasant, and the entire town becomes a surprisingly lovely place to spend a day exploring.
Katskhi Pillar — One of Georgia’s Most Unreal Places
From Chiatura we continued toward Katskhi Pillar.
A massive limestone monolith rising roughly 40 meters above the ground, with a tiny church sitting on top of it. For centuries the pillar symbolized isolation, faith, and ascetic life. Today only monks are allowed to climb to the top.
Standing below it, you start wondering how people even managed to build anything there in the first place.
Georgia has many beautiful monasteries, but Katskhi Pillar is something completely different. It looks more like a fantasy movie location than a real place.
Definitely one of the most impressive landmarks in the country.
Back Through Zestaponi
As evening approached, we headed back east through Zestaponi.
Long road trips in Georgia always feel shorter than they actually are. Maybe because every region changes so quickly — landscapes, architecture, people, even the atmosphere.
Before returning home, we dropped Helmuts off at his current home away from home — Kiketi Farm.
Not a bad place for a Latvian pilgrim to disappear into Georgian countryside life for a while.
Final Thoughts
What I enjoy most about weekends like this is that Georgia constantly feels unpredictable.
- Ancient cave cities.
- Soviet mining towns.
- Sacred pillars balancing on rocks.
- Cheap lemonade.
And long philosophical conversations somewhere between mountain roads and abandoned factories.
Hard to beat that combination.
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