Monastery · Khulo Municipality, Adjara
Skhalta Monastery
სხალთის ტაძარი · Skhalta Cathedral
A medieval hall church of dressed stone on the right bank of the Skhalta River in upper Adjara, with a seven-sided apse and fragments of late-medieval frescoes inside.
Where it is
41.5850, 42.3297
Why go
Researchers have not settled when it was built, with proposals ranging from the tenth to the thirteenth century, but the church survives in its original form and is in use: a monastery works beside it and it is the seat of the Orthodox bishop of Skhalta. Inside, fragments of fourteenth- or fifteenth-century painting remain on the altar and the west wall; among them, look for John the Baptist shown as a young man. A medieval bridge over the Skhalta and an old wine cellar with its traditional equipment stand nearby. At about 100 km from Batumi in the Khulo valley, it suits travellers already exploring upper Adjara.
Near Skhalta Monastery
Lake
Green Lake (Mtsvane Tba)
A spring-fed mountain lake at 2,058 metres in forest six kilometres from Goderdzi Pass in Khulo municipality, up to 19.4 metres deep and coloured green by the woods around it.
17 km · straight-line distance; driving distance and time differ
Waterfall
Merisi Waterfall
A waterfall between forested cliffs at Merisi village in the Keda highlands of Adjara, a short walk from the end of the paved road and fitted with stairs, handrails and a pool below.
25 km · straight-line distance; driving distance and time differ
Lake
Tbikeli Lake
An oval mountain lake at 1,900–2,000 metres in the Kintrishi Protected Areas of Kobuleti municipality, home to the Red-Listed Caucasian newt and reached only on foot or horseback.
29 km · straight-line distance; driving distance and time differ
Monastery
Zarzma Monastery
A monastery in the Kvabliani valley of Samtskhe-Javakheti, named after its founder Serapion Zarzmeli, whose present church and bell tower date from the early 14th century.
29 km · straight-line distance; driving distance and time differ