Across the Earth you will find many cities dedicated to love. Georgia too has one of these cities. Located in the Kakheti region, Signagi, known as the “City of Love,” offers sights and attractions, such as the Signagi Museum, which was upgraded from the former Ethnographic and Archeological Museum, as well as Bodbe Monastery, a famous sight of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians. Many couples even flock to this town just to get married. Given the romantic setting of the town, there’s no wonder why this city is one of the most popular areas to visit while traveling in Georgia.
My trip to (Сигнаги) Signagi truly began at a side-of-the-road market where the vendor offered me complementary homemade wine and чача (chacha), the famous alcoholic drink of the country. Additionally, the vendor dressed me in a папаха (papakha)— a hat made of sheep wool — as well as a fur coat.I was also treated to чурчхела (churchkhela), a thick Georgian sweet made of walnuts and a grape juice.
Leaving the market, I arrived at the first destination of my trip: Монастырь Бодбе (Bodbe Monastery). The monastery, dating back to the 9th century, is dedicated to Saint Nino, a 4th century preacher of Christianity who’s resting place is located at the monastery. The main church and surrounding buildings are beautiful adding to the stunningness of the monastery is the surrounding garden. Thousands of flowers litter the garden, and its juxtaposition with the monastery makes the area a great spot for photos. Like many monasteries in Georgia, Bodbe Monastery asks women to wear long skirts and head coverings upon entering, and provides them when necessary. Despite that, this monastery is welcome to anyone who wishes to respect such rare religious and historical sight.
Signagi is a town of red-tiled-roofed buildings closely packed together. The houses and buildings run up and down the mountain with small cobblestone roads paving the way. In addition to being the “City of Love,” Signagi, and the Kakheti region in general are known to be not only one of the oldest wine making areas in Georgia, but in the entire world, and this region makes sure you know that. On your trip you will see many wineries and vineyards while traversing the area. You will also find that there are vast opportunities to experience wine tastings at many of the restaurants in the area. The wine tasting I participated in offered six different wines made from all across the Kakheti region, and also chacha. The wines varied across flavors, from white to deep red with amber and rosé in between. Georgian wines focus on the natural flavors of grapes, and often utilize little to no added sugars in the winemaking process. There are thousands of varieties of grapes used in Georgian wine making, and every wine goes through a different maturation process which can range from months to only a few days. In addition to wine tasting, I also ate Georgian cuisine, including dishes like шашлык (shashlik), which is a form of skewered meat, and sauces like ткемали (tkemali), a sauce made from plums that is eaten with a variety of dishes. The experience I had at this restaurant was an amazing way to both learn more about and to taste some of the prides of Georgian culture.
My trip in Signagi was something that I enjoyed every moment of. I find myself wishing I had more time to explore the city and the surrounding Kakheti region even more, including places like Телави (Telavi) and Кварели (Kvareli). The route back to Tbilisi was spent looking outside the car’s window towards the high mountains, vast fields and vineyards, and comically numerous amounts of cows along the roads. Leaving Signagi, I was purposeful to make sure that this would not be the last time I visit the town, and I now have a future trip that I am anticipating looking forward to.
Fulbright-Hays Fellowship Recipient
Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program
Tbilisi, Georgia, Summer 2023