Gori – Georgia is the capital district of the region of Shida Kartli. It is best known as the native place of former Soviet Union leader, Joseph Stalin. The district has a fairly warm to fairly humid climate, with precipitation at high levels during the month of May.
Location
Gori – Georgia is seventy-six kilometers or about forty-seven miles off the western parts of the country’s capital city of Tbilisi at the convergence of the Mtkvari and Greater Liakhvi rivers.
Getting There
There is no international airport at Gori. The nearest international airport is the Tbilisi International Airport. The airport is about seventy-eight kilometers off the center of Gori.
You can take a marshrutka, a type of taxi-minibus that is popular all over Georgia from the Didube station in Tbilisi. Marshrutkas leave every forty minutes for Gori – Georgia. The ride takes about one and one-half hours.
You can also take a bus going to Gori from Tbilisi and this one will take about two hours to reach your destination.
What to See
There are many notable landmarks that you can check out while visiting Gori – Georgia. There is the Gori Fortress that sits atop a rocky hill overlooking the city of Gori.
This is a medieval fortress that is believed to have been constructed during the latter centuries Before Christ or BC.
Another popular tourist spot in Gori is the Joseph Stalin Museum where various memorabilia from the life of Stalin are on display. This was formally dedicated to the former Soviet leader in the year 1957.
You can also drop by the Georgian Orthodox Cathedral.
Brief History
Gori – Georgia served as an important stronghold for the country’s military force back in the Middle Ages. It was believed to have been founded by King David IV between the years 1089 and 1125, using it as a place for Armenian refugees.
In the course of its history, Gori – Georgia has been invaded by foreign forces including the Ottomans and Persians.
In the year 2008, the city came under attack during the 2008 Ossetian War by the Russian Air Force. Its residents as well as foreign visitors fled the city. On August 28 of the same year, Russian forces as well as Ossetian forces finally withdrew their power from the city and left.
Cost
The cost to visit Gori – Georgia is relatively affordable. Transports in and out of the city cost about 3.50 lari up to 4 lari. Exploring the city can be done on foot so you won’t have much transport cost to think about while visiting its sights.
Eating out will cost about 5 to 15 lari per person while accommodations range from 30 to 60 lari per person, per night.
Other Information
For travelers looking for an internet connection, there are several internet cafes that you can visit along Chavchavadze Street and also at Stalin Avenue.
