Mtskheta

Mtskheta (მცხეთა) is a town lot about 8,000 people (2014) 15 km north of Tbilisi in the Kartli region of Georgia.

Understand
Mtskheta was the capital of the ancient eastern Georgian kingdom of Iberia from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD. It is of extraordinary importance to the Georgian people and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was here that Georgia adopted Christianity in AD 334 and it remains the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Mtskheta is of primary interest to anyone interested in Georgian history or Orthodox Christianity.

Get in
Mtskheta lies at the junction of the Georgian Military Highway and the main road that connects Gori with Tbilisi.

By marshrutka
Marshrutkas run regularly every day of the week between Tbilisi's Didube market and the main street in Mtskheta. From the Didube metro station, walk out to the left of the metro tracks (when coming from city center), cross a street and in the next lot you'll find the &mdash;ask around. In the south-east corner of the lot, there is a 'cash desk' where you can buy a ticket for the marshrutka. The cost to Mtskheta is 2 lari per person, or pay the driver directly and exactly this amount. Some will try to extort more, expecting you not to care much. Bring a map and stop near the historic center of Mtskheta. Otherwise, the marshrutkas continue to the Mtskheta bus station which is 500 m north of Mtskheta's cathedral. There are fewer marshrutka drivers operating on Sundays and that this mode of transportation therefore becomes less dependable and more crowded.

By train
Mtskheta lies on the Tbilisi-Kutaisi railway and thus any trains connecting these cities will pass Mtskheta.

By taxi
You can take a taxi from Tbilisi or book a guided tour. To make sure you can get back to Tbilisi without problems get a phone number of a cab company before heading to Mtskheta, they will send someone to pick you up for the way back.

Get around
Mtskheta is small enough that it is possible to see the entire town on foot. The one exception is Jvari Monastery, far from the town center on top of a mountain. As there is no public transport to Jvari, it may be best to hire a cab in town (expect to pay 15 lari for the return trip), or take the shuttle offered by the tourist office opposite the Cathedral, at a cost of 5 lari per person, to Jvari Monastery. Although hiking up is possible, it probably wouldn't be wise as the walk involves a stretch of main road with blind bends and characteristically chaotic driving.

Events

 * If you happen to be in Mtzkheta in October, do not miss the Georgian Air Balloon Open Competition.
 * Mtskheta City Festival is held annually on 14 October around the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. Folk dances, music, crafts and religious events all happen there.

Buy
There are some traders and a small shop in front of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral where you can buy souvenirs and drinks.
 * There is also a relatively

Eat
There are several cafes in Mtskheta, but one deserves special recognition:
 * Another extremely popular place is

Drink
Those who want to visit discos and nightclubs must drive to Tbilisi.

Go next

 * The Georgian Military Highway runs north through the mountains to the Russian border. The next sizeable town north from Mtskheta is Dusheti
 * Gori, to the west, is easy to reach
 * Tbilisi