gremi citadel and church of the archangels

Mostly tourist attraction (like a tiny Mtskheta) with a parking lot, souvenir market, small museum. The place is not crowded.The palace is very interesting - watchtower with a spectacular view, underpass, ancient WC, etc. The church is common for Georgia from all points of view.

If you are just driving on the way to Telavi and found this nice citadel and church in front to you, it means that you must to stop. Well preserved and magnificient active church. Worth it a visit inside!

On the river's bend, up the hill, the great castle towers. Some walk from the bus/car stop. Amazing view on the ancient village. Wine cellars and great photo opportunitiesToo bad the area is full of trash and garbage, though,

Magnificent buildings high on the hills. Upon entering the well preserved church you are overcome with the beauty of the frescoes. A large framed icon of Mother and Child, to your left upon entry was used as an operating table during the Soviet occupation when the church was used as a hospital. The white wash of Soviet times has been removed by high pressure water to reveal the magnificent frescoes.Well worth the climb up the stone stairs.

Magnificent well-preserved cathedral high on a hill. Still an active church. Be sure to see the bishop's toilet chair placed strategically over a hole in the stone floor!

Older than the hills but just a majestic, Gremi Citadel sits high on a hill and is truly a site/sight to be seen. Don't miss it, and shame on you if you do.

The church sits on a small hill close to the road. A short walk up the steps brought us to the sound of music . As we stood outside several black clad women moved past us into the church. We too entered to discover perhaps 20 participants, the smell of incense and lovely singing in great acoustics. The Citidal , which we did not walk to , sits on a higher hill further back from the road . It appears to be meerly a pile of ruins.

Gremi citadel is almost midway between Telavi and Kvareli and was the capital of Kakheti in the 17th century. The construction of the present complex started in the 16th century. Due to the historical significance of the complex, it has been well kept and is worth a visit. The museum that is housed in the citadel must also be visited, not only for the collection but for the chance to go to the top of the ramparts and to see the magnificient view from there.

This castle is really an odd one, not somewhere I would have wanted to live if I was a king but a great place to visit. The location is beautiful, especially on a warm, sunny spring day. The 2-year old and the 3-year old were particularly excited to see "the king's toilet", which must have been brutally cold to sit on in winter.The whole place is quite small and is a suitable stop for about an hour, especially if you are going from Alaverdi or Telavi to Kvareli.

The new museum was nice and informative, and the property looks well maintained. You get a good feel for the history of the surrounding area.

While not the oldest church in the area, it is in the most original condition and with most of the interier still in-tact, where-as many other churches have been white washed. One of the few churches were it is permissable to take non-flash photos inside. There is a museum next door which is mildly entertaining but entrance fee also allows you to climb the tower which is quite interesting and there is a beautiful view of the mountains from the top. This sight also has a small souvenir shop selling souvenirs of the area. I mention this because those in search of souvenirs will not find them easily in rural Georgia.

Besides the cultural, historical and aesthetic value, this citadel is a great place to spend the whole day at. The Gremi complex has a very nice museum, children's playground and a cafe with open-air sitting area. The service is good and the prices are very reasonable. Great place for relaxing after excursion on a citadel, and enjoying fresh food and fantastic views on a sunny day.

Gremi complex must have been in the focus of the local authorities willing to increase the touristy attractiveness of Georgia. The city of Gremi, once the capital of the Kakhetian Kingdom and the Royal seat during XVI-XVII centuries, was destroyed by Persian Shah Abbas in 1615 and had only been restored in our days. Quite thoroughly renovated, Gremi Complex is presently in a good condition, with many things to see. It had even been included into the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. The following are presently open to the public: the relatively small but quite interesting museum, the Royal Tower and the Church of Archangels on the top of the hill, and the ruins of aristocratic and commercial quarters of the ancient city of Gremi (including the trading arcades, a bathhouse and residential buildings) at its bottom and the ruines of the domed church in between the Royal part and the commercial quarter. Entrance is for a fee; it was about 6 lari for the museum in Jan 2012. Guided tours are offered on spot. The museum attendants can show you around the small hall, but guided tour isn’t that necessary with English signs and information boards available. And the Citadel attendant will tell more about the Citadel Complex and the Church of Archangels built in 1565 by order of King Leon (Levan) of Kakheti. He will also allow you to climb up the Royal Tower, should you wish. Don’t miss this chance – the panorama from up there is fabulous!P.S. An attendant had only opened the bathroom (near the parking lot) for a petty fee. Parking was for free though.

Gleich neben dem Dorf Gremi an der Hauptstrasse liegt dieses Kleinod georgischen Kulturgutes. Mittlerweile auch für den Tourismus entsprechend neu im Umfeld gestaltet,lädt dieses Bauwerk zu einem kurzen Halt und zu einer Besichtigung durchaus ein. Noch besser ist jedoch der Besuch des sogenannten Steinhauses, welches zu Beginn des 20’ten Jahrhunderts durch den deutschstämmigen Arzt Georg von Stein als Hospital eingerichtet wurde. Heute ist die NGO TEMI dort in Gremi ansässig und kümmert sich um gehandikapte und vernachlässigte Kinder und Jugendliche Georgiens.Jährlich helfen vor allem junge Menschen verschiedenster Nationalität, so auch Deutsche die hier ihr freiwilliges soziale Jahr durchführen

Questo piccolo castello è arroccato su una collinetta.Al suo interno c'è un museo con oggeti vari appartenuti alla dinastia reale.C'è un cuorioso gabinetto dove il Re espletava le funzioni fisiologiche ma il sito non è famoso per questo.All'interno è possibile scattare foto anche se non c'è gran che da fotografare.Annessa al castello la piccola chiesa degli arcangeli Michele e Gabriele ancora in funzione.Al suo interno molti affreschi rovinati dalla stupidità sovietica,infatti tutti i volti sono sfregiati e ci sono parecchie scritte sui muri,davvero un peccato.Un tempo Gremi era il fulcro di tutti i commerci e godeva di pieno splendore.