Vardzia
Local name: ვარძია
Located in Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia Coordinates: 41°22′49″ N 43°17′04″ E
- Population
- 500
- 500
- Elevation
- 1,263 m
- above sea level
- Local time
- UTC+04:00
- Asia/Tbilisi · UTC+04:00
- Airports
- LWN Shirak International Airport85 km
- KSY Kars Airport92 km
About Vardzia
Vardzia is a village. Location: Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia. Population: 500. Elevation: 1,263 m.
Vardzia (Georgian: ვარძია [vaɾdzia]) is a cave monastery site in southern Georgia, excavated from the slopes of the Erusheti Mountain on the left bank of the Kura River, thirty kilometres from Aspindza. The main period of construction was the second half of the twelfth century. The caves stretch along the cliff for some five hundred meters and in up to nineteen tiers. The monastery was an important cultural center, a place of significant literary and artistic work.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
At a glance
- Built
- 12th century
- Heritage designation
- Cultural Monuments of National Importance of Georgia
Source: Wikidata
Climate of Vardzia
Best months for sightseeingBest months for sightseeing: June–July, September.
This month · November
A cold month
Day 9° · Night 0° · Rain 38 mm
- Hottest month
- August (day 26°)
- Coldest month
- January (night -7°)
- Wettest month
- June (96 mm)
- Driest month
- January (32 mm)
Bars: average monthly low and high temperature. Below: precipitation. Monthly averages for 1970–2000 at about 18 km resolution, adjusted for elevation. Highlighted months are mild and relatively dry. Source: WorldClim 2.1 (CC BY 4.0).
Show values as a table
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high (°C) | 1° | 4° | 8° | 14° | 18° | 23° | 25° | 26° | 23° | 16° | 9° | 3° |
| Average low (°C) | -7° | -7° | -4° | 3° | 6° | 9° | 13° | 12° | 9° | 5° | 0° | -4° |
| Precipitation (mm) | 32 | 35 | 39 | 60 | 90 | 96 | 63 | 57 | 40 | 44 | 38 | 35 |
How to get to Vardzia
The nearest airport is Shirak International Airport (LWN), 85 km to the southeast as the crow flies. The nearest large city is Kutaisi, 110 km to the northwest.
Airports
- Shirak International Airport (LWN) Gyumri 85 kmsoutheast
- Kars Airport (KSY) Kars 92 kmsouth
- David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport (KUT) Kopitnari 111 kmnorthwest
Nearby large cities
- Kutaisi Population: 135.2K 110 kmnorthwest
- Tbilisi Population: 1M 134 kmeast
- Batumi Population: 186.9K 141 kmwest
- Rustavi Population: 128.2K 143 kmeast
- Iğdır Population: 101.7K 174 kmsouth
Straight-line distances; road distances are longer. Airport data: OurAirports.
Day trips from Vardzia
Within 100 km: 36 historic and cultural sites, 129 natural sites, 151 lakes, rivers and coasts.
0–25 km17 places
- Kumurdo Cathedral Attraction 6 kmE
- Vanis Kvabebi Attraction 2 kmE
- Tmogvi Castle Historic site 3 kmNE
- Khertvisi Fortress Historic site 11 kmN
25–60 km89 places
- Mta Tavk’vetili Mountain 49 kmNE
- Mta Shavnabada Mountain 44 kmNE
- Didi Abuli Mountain 31 kmE
- Baraleti Church of the Theotokos Attraction 26 kmNE
60–100 km210 places
- Ani Historic site 100 kmS
- Meskhetis Kedi Mountain 75 kmNW
- Katskhi Monastery Attraction 99 kmN
- Joseph Stalin Museum Museum 96 kmNE
Straight-line distances.
Nearby attractions & nature
Everything nearby-
Vanis Kvabebi Attraction, Samtskhe-Javakheti2 km E
-
Tmogvi Castle Historic site, Samtskhe-Javakheti3.5 km NE
-
Kumurdo Cathedral Attraction, Samtskhe-Javakheti6.2 km E
-
Khertvisi Fortress Historic site, Samtskhe-Javakheti11 km N
-
Kartsakhi Lake Lake, Georgia20 km S
-
Kura Nehri River, Turkey10 km SW
Sources & licences
Data last updated: · 2 independent sources