Shida Kartli
Shida Kartli (Georgian: შიდა ქართლი, meaning "Upper Kartli") is the part of Georgia's Kartli region that lies to the south of South Ossetia. Gori is the principal city and administrative center of the region.
Cities
- Kaspi (კასპი k'ah-sp'ee)
- Kareli (ქარელი kah-reh-lee)
- Khasuri (ხასური khah-soo-ree)
- Gori (გორი goh-ree) — the administrative center of Shida Kartli and Stalin's hometown; Shida Kartli's most accessible and famous tourist sites (in particular, Uplistsikhe are all located in and around this principal city
Other destinations
- Uplistsikhe — a 3,000 year old cave city on the Silk Road
Understand
Shida Kartli is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Georgians and shares its culture closely with the neighboring regions. Its former northern part, South Ossetia, has always been culturally distinct and is now a de facto separate state from Georgia.
Talk
Georgian is the main language, but a large minority also speaks Russian.
Get in
- Marshrutka: Marshrutkas run frequently from Tbilisi's Didube market to Gori. Tskhinvali is also connected to Gori. Less frequent service is available from Kutaisi.
- Taxi: Taxis to the Gori region can be hired on the cheap from Tbilisi's Didube market. For a significantly higher price, taxis will take travelers to other destinations within Shida Kartli.
Get around
- Public transport: It is possible to flag down the local buses and marshrutkas (and cars willing to pick up hitchhikers) run frequently along Shida Kartli's main north-south road. For any destinations off the main road, it is advisable to go to the local bus station early in the morning to inquire about service.
- For higher price (although still cheap), it is possible to hire a taxi from virtually anywhere in the region to get to the main cities. To get to smaller destinations, it is best to go to the local bus station to see if any taxi drivers are interested. If only making a day trip to a small destination, it is fairly easy to hire a driver for the full day at reasonable rates (no more than $30).
See
The most interesting sites in Shida Kartli are unquestionably the amazing, ancient cave city of Uplistsikhe near Gori, and the Stalin Museum in the center of Gori—a visitor to the region should skip neither. Gori has several other interesting historical sites, including a Roman Empire-era fortress, Gori Jvari (a small mountain top monastery), and other Stalin-related sites (being, as it is, Stalin's hometown).
Do
Eat
Drink
Stay safe
Southern Shida Kartli is a perfectly safe travel destination, but it is generally inadvisable to travel much farther north than Gori.
Go next
Gori the main hub for regular connections heading south towards Georgia's main east-west highway. Going from Shida Kartli to Tbilisi is straightforward. Travelers wishing to head west towards Imereti and Kutaisi, however, should plan to go to the bus station early as there is considerably less traffic headed in this direction.