Sighnaghi

A small walled town in the Kakheti wine region perched on a ridge above the Alazani plain, Sighnaghi retains its eighteenth-century defensive wall — over four kilometers long with towers and gates — which encircles the town and provides a walkable circuit with views over the vineyards and the Greater Caucasus range beyond. The surrounding landscape of the Alazani Valley is considered the heartland of Georgia's ancient wine culture, with evidence of winemaking dating back over eight thousand years. The Bodbe Monastery, containing the tomb of Saint Nino who Christianized Georgia in the fourth century, lies a short distance outside the town walls.