Imereti

Imereti is the most populous region of Georgia outside Tbilisi, and most travellers pass through without stopping long. Kutaisi, the regional capital, has a lively centre with café terraces on Meskhishvili Square and a covered market where the smell of spices and homemade preserves fills the narrow aisles. Traffic in the centre is chaotic and some neighbourhoods show the wear of industrial decades, but prices are noticeably lower than in Tbilisi: eating well at a local qvevri-sakhli can cost less than five lari per person.

Those who venture beyond Kutaisi find a landscape of gentle hills covered in vineyards and walnut trees, valleys with green-watered rivers like the Rioni, and villages where wine is still made in kvevri buried underground. Imereti white wine — made with semi-carbonic maceration over a few days — has a light amber colour and a lively acidity, different from the rkatsiteli of Kakheti; it is sold directly at producers' homes for a few lari a litre, with no label or middlemen.

The region also offers two well-developed tourist caves: Prometheus and Sataplia. The first is the most famous in the country, with underground boat tours and coloured lighting that is a matter of taste. Sataplia is smaller and has fossilised dinosaur footprints in the limestone rock, a detail that surprises adults as much as children. Further west, Okatse Canyon offers a walkway over the void that adds some genuine vertigo to the day.

Imereti was the heart of the medieval kingdom of the same name, which maintained autonomous existence for centuries after the fragmentation of the unified Georgian kingdom. Its kings ruled from Kutaisi, which had been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Colchis — the land of the Golden Fleece of Greek mythology —. The region resisted Ottoman and Persian invasions with varying success before being incorporated into the Russian Empire in the early 19th century. During the Soviet period it was partly industrialised with manganese plants in Chiatura, and Kutaisi hosted major car factories. Today that industry is largely at a standstill, and the city is seeking a new role by building on tourism and its international airport.

• Gelati Monastery 12th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site, 11 km from Kutaisi. Contains well-preserved frescoes in blues and ochres, and the mausoleum of King David the Builder. Entry is free; cover your shoulders.
• Motsameta Monastery Small complex on a rocky spur above the Rioni River, a few kilometres from Gelati. The setting is more dramatic than the interior, but it is worth the combined stop.
• Prometheus Caves The largest cave system in Georgia, near Tskaltubo. Stalactite formations, underground lakes and the option of a boat tour. The lighting is somewhat theatrical; better to visit on a weekday to avoid summer queues.
• Bagrati Cathedral In the centre of Kutaisi, on a hill with views over the city. A UNESCO site, its restoration is controversial among specialists, but the ensemble and the views make the visit worthwhile.
• Okatse Canyon About 50 km from Kutaisi, a metal walkway cantilevered over a deep canyon with the river below. Popular in summer; arrive before 10:00 for quiet and better light.
• Rioni valley wineries Small producers in villages such as Zestafoni and surroundings make amber white wine in kvevri. No appointment needed — just knock on the door.

Photo gallery

Kutaisi Airport (David the Builder) receives low-cost flights from several European cities. From Tbilisi there are regular trains to Kutaisi — about 3 hours — and frequent marshrutkas taking 3 to 3.5 hours from Didube station. By car from Tbilisi via the E60 motorway it is about 220 km. From Kutaisi taxis are hired to visit the monasteries and caves; most destinations are less than an hour away.

May and June are the best months: temperatures between 18 and 26 °C, vines with new shoots and clear roads. September and October bring the harvest and the most golden light of the year. July and August are hot — up to 33 °C in the Rioni valley — and the tourist caves fill up. Winter in the lowlands of Imereti is rainy and grey, but the caves stay open and there are very few visitors.