ananuri fortified castle ensemble

Stopping at Ananuri on the way to Kazbegi area is a must- for the view of the Zhinvali reservoir and also for the interesting relief on the wall on the church.

If you can go on a Sunday, do it. Seeing an actual service in the church really adds to the experience. The architecture is nearly intact from when it was built. You can climb up the tower to the top. The paintings on the West wall and the pillars are awe inspiring. The letter carved from the project manager of the Fortress to the virgin Mary near the entrance was funny. If you can get a tour guide it will make the experience more enjoyable. The only downside was the disgusting "bathroom". It was just a hole in the floor of a little shack. There are dogs all over the place, but they are friendly.

My wanting to visit Ananuri Castle was inspired by a suite of dances presented by the Georgian State Dance Company. Indeed this Castle is about as medieval as you can get. it takes very little imagination to see Knights and Damsels.....and overlooking the new reservoire, en route to Kazbeki, it is an interesting stop off. The main round room still smells of tallow candles and history. A mild attempt at Tourism was a man who, for a small tip, let you put on one of the Georgian cloaks, Burqua, shaggy hat and staff and have your photo taken. This man had a dog - very arthritic and his treatment of that dog had me practicising my Russian on how to treat animals.

Although this is more than interesting, for me this pales in comparison to both Uplitsiche (1) and David 'Gareja Monestery (2). Do them all if you can, but in that order.

truly spectacular place with fortress, church, tower etc. Not to miss in Georgia! Smb wrote about dogs living there...Well there are 3 of them!) Though big, fluffy and friendly like a plush toys!) So welcome!

About 65km (a hour ride) away from Tbilisi on one of the turns of the famous Georgian Military Road (the historic name for a major route through the Caucasus from Georgia to Russia) the beautiful Ananuri Castle is located.The fortified castle ensemble is overlooking the Aragvi River Zhinvali Reservoir. Within the complex, amongst fortress defensive wall and fortifications are two churches: the older Church of the Virgin (dates from the first half of the 17th century), which abuts a tall square tower and the larger Church of the Assumption (built in 1689), contains the remains of a number of frescoes, most of which were destroyed by the fire in the 18th century.It's possible to park your car in front of the Ananuri there is also some places to buy souvenirs or to have a photo of you wearing a georgian traditional clothing and then get in the Ananuri complex.You can also take a walk downhill to the water or continue some 800m with the highway and then turn right to the road which will lead you to the reservoir shore. The Ananuri, woods of green around the reservoir are beautiful and definitely worth a visit.

A must for anyone travelling to Stepantsminda, this fortress complex, the seat of the eristavis (dukes) of Aragvi, incorporates a circuit wall with turrets, churches and a Svanetian tower. Among its highlights is the Church of the Assumption’s richly decorated east façade. Despite modest interior, the fortified ensemble is so photogenic (thanks to its wonderful location overlooking the Zhinvali Reservoir) and historically significant (thanks to centuries of royal rivalry) that it appears on the cover of Lonely Planet's latest edition and UNESCO’s Tentative List. Tourists will almost certainly be greeted by barking dogs, so ferocious that they turned away one Spanish couple when we visited. If you fear them or have a tight schedule, it’s best to view the castle in the morning from the bridge across the Aragvi River.

It's not really the Ananuri, but it place come up the closest one on a TA. Khevsureti turn is on the way to Ananuri,but before it. Rough roads, but beautiful and exiting ! Sometimes dangerous, but still exiting ! You just need to pray that there will not be another car on your way :))) Well, it takes 3 hours drive from Tbilisi to the small village Roshka, from where the trekking starts. Foot path is not very hard, it's just a long way ( 2 hours of trekking ). When you see a wonderful lakes - you will forget,that you spent 5 hours to get to the point! One lake is grass Green and it called Green lake abudelauri. The other one is Blue lake Abudelauri - fairytale ... Ther third one i a little hard to get to. The White lake Abudelauri. It's 1 hour more trekking time from these 2 lakes, but it worth it ! It's a 1 day tour, but you have a tent it's a nice place to spend a night :)

To start with its a really nice drive down to this fortress from Tbilisi along the military highway, theres a few places to buy souvenirs and drinks just in front of the place but please watch out for cars! The fortress sits atop a promontary and includes 2 small churches and a defensive wall overlooking a large lake. Unfortunately when we visisted the tower was closed for renovation but the releifs on the front of the building in old georgian script more than made up for this and were very well preserved as was the interior of one of the churches, the other still needs some renovation. The area around the church is uneven so watch your step, but its well worth visiting and very dramatic from the road.

We did a day trip to Stepantsminda for 120 GEL (there and back) with a taxi and stopped at Ananuri which is literally on the road. It is located some 50km from Tbilisi and the place is splendid! There is no entrance or any fee so you just explore it as it is, in the wild. The view over the reservoir is terrific! There is even some sort of small beach on the side (no infrastructure, again it is all natural and lovely).

On the way to Stepantsminda we made a stop in the Fortress Ananuri. The fortress has two churches and a lookout tower. The decoration inside the church was rather modest. While in the grounds of the fortress one can easily imagine what an important role this fortress played in the feudal times to protect its people from enemy attacks - one look at the observation tower is enough. The tower is very high, about the height of four floors. A narrow winding staircase brings one to the top of the tower although the last area is surrounded by high walls, and there is almost nothing to be seen. Whilst in the towwer, it was annoying to see the garbage and the fact that some people had used the inside of the tower for a toilet!! This is the cultural and historical heritage of the country; people should show more respect.In addition to the fortress can be seen the original Zhinvali reservoir. We were told that before the construction of the reservoir in this place ran the Georgian Military Highway. In October, the reservoir was a little shallow and we saw her remains. Slightly below the castle in the houses still live a few families. In the spring the water of the reservoir goes very high rises and floods the houses.Ananuri Fortress left a lasting impression with its rough beauty.

This fortress complex is definitely worth the stop. You are able to climb around and explore as you want - no apparent limitations. We climbed the staircase up the tallest tower for great views of the surrounding area. The walls at the top of the tower are well above 6 feet tall - so you either can look through slits in the walls or (if you are a daredevil) climb on top of the ~1 foot wide wall.There is a parking area and a couple of stands nearby. There was a toilet of some sort. Make sure to watch your step when exploring the area.

It's a very old fostress with a church within its boundaries, some pieces they are trying to repair. It's lovely to walk around it as well as on the walls. You may even climb up to the highest tower, but the view you can get is by pieces, cause it is still height in construction and the wall overtakes one in height. But you can use the small points that were used to guard the castle and for protection. So, you might get in the end a nice view of the lake through one of this small holes in the walls. It really desearves the stop. As well as the lake which is a bit downer. It has warm water almost all day long and you can easily have a swimm in it. The water might be a bit muddy, but in the end mud is good for skin.

A very nice fortress with great scenes arround it. If you are driving on the Military Highway you can't miss it. You can enter all bildings including all towers. From the top of the highest tower you can take some nice photos of the fortress.

As you drive along the Georgian Military Highway, it is impossible to miss the amazingly scenic ensemble of Ananuri fortified castle of XVII century. It’s situated on the foreland by the Aragvi River, not far from Zhinvali water reservoir and in about 70km from Tbilisi. The entrance is free of charge. And it is surely worthy to make a stop over here and to wander around this once strategic defensive post, a castle and the seat of the Eristavi (feudal rulers and commanders) of Aragvi and presently just one of the most scenic fortresses of Georgia. Ananuri fortified castle is on the UNESCO Tentative list.Its ensemble had started from the narrow watch tower of either XIII or XIV, presently in the centre of the complex, and a small single church of XVI, later circled by defensive walls with five massive towers and significantly strengthened by the citadel of the Upper and Lower fortresses, and crowned with the large domed cathedral of XVII. The presently left to be seen is the Upper fortress only. Three of its five towers, including the largest Sheupovari Tower, face the Georgian Military Highway. But the entrance to the complex is to the right, from the middle of the southern wall. As you enter the fortress, you will face the main domed cathedral (the Assumption Church), built in 1689, with the earliest pyramidal tower by its western wall. Further down the east, facing Aragvi River, there is Mkuriali (“Healing”) Church with the arched bell tower. And back to the west, you return to Gvtaeva (“Savior”) small domed church. The Church of the Assumption is interesting to explore from the outside – there are some very well preserved relief carvings on its façade, and the Georgian script on the walls. Unfortunately, the interior of the cathedral suffered more – there aren’t too many frescoes left. Yet those remaining depict, among other scenes, the famous Thirteen Syrian Fathers. It’s also possible to enter the towers, but some of them have no bridging inside. The Georgian Military Highway was a highlight of my Georgia trip, an absolute must-do, in my opinion. And when you head there, make sure you stop by the scenic Ananuri fortress.