The small, pretty town of Kvareli is located 150 kilometers from Tbilisi, and is both an interesting place for a day trip, and the starting point for a longer tour throughout Kakheti. Wine lovers, nature fans, and history connoisseurs will all find something for themselves here! Wine is the blood of Kakheti and of Georgia, and Kvareli is an important vessel.
So, what should you do in Kvareli?
1. Visit a Kindzmarauli vineyard and winery
Observe the wine making process, taste Georgia’s famous semi-sweet wine Kindzmarauli, which comes from this very region!
2. Look into the depths of a wine tunnel
Another large wine producer of wine, “Khareba”, has established a winery and tasting rooms in an old tunnel from Soviet times. Walk through the cool halls, learn more about wine, admire views of Kakheti from the tower and discover which method of wine production you prefer: European or Georgian.
3. Visit Ilia Lake
This public, man-made lake is located just a 5-minute drive from the center of Kvareli. With a well-equipped recreation area, you can try cycling, renting a catamaran or paddle boat, swimming in the lake and looking at the forest-covered mountains… Isn’t life wonderful?
4. Discover high-end resorts
The resort at Kvareli Lake offers a high-end vacation experience- spa services, a swimming pool, cycling, and tours to the other parts of Kakheti. Not far away there is another resort. There are no lakes there, but visitors to the resort may not need them- they have the opportunity to bathe in Georgian wine!
5. Visit the house-museum of Ilia Chavchavadze
The founding father of the modern nation of Georgia, Ilia Chavchavadze, lived in Kvareli – his museum located in his modest home, which includes a beautiful garden and a square stone tower. Do you want to imagine this great thinker deep in ruminations on the future? Go see it for yourself!
6. Inspect the Kvareli Fortress
Situated directly on the central square, it contrasts with the House of Justice, built in the ultra modern style of recent years. The fortress is known for the fact that in the middle of the XVIII century, the leader of the Avar tribe tried to conquer it, but left with nothing. Currently, the fortress protects inside its walls… an old football stadium!
