Tourists to Sighnaghi

Sighnaghi (სიღნაღი) is a very small town in eastern Georgia's Kakheti region. The local economy depends greatly on wine production, but Sighnaghi has also undergone a reconstruction program to make it a hub and destination for the growing tourist industry. 


We took a day trip there last weekend, and along the way we detoured to see a crumbling fortress on the hillside we were passing. 

This required driving up through a little town, 

 The Detour

 Along the roadside

and over some bad roads, where we eventually left the car and walked the last few hundred meters.

Before we got to Sighnaghi, 

 Sighnaghi from a distance

we went first to see the  Monastery of St. George at Bodbe (ბოდბის წმინდა გიორგის მონასტერი) where the tomb of St. Nino, who introduced Christianity to Georgia, is located.

 The Pilgrim Refectory (and coffee shop)

 Crowds of Tourists

Here we met up with a group of teachers and staff from the school, and hiked down a very steep hillside to visit St. Nino's spring, and taste the holy water.

 The start of the hike down to the spring

 Pilgrims gathered at the spring

Next, we moved along to Signaghi itself. You can see the money that has been spent to spruce up the town. 

Things are clean and the building facades are in good shape. One of the interesting features is the great wall that surrounds the town and extends out on the hillside over the valley below.

Back in town we had a meal on a nice patio outside of a Georgian restaurant.