11 Things To Do in Tsalka – Georgia’s Most Hidden Treasure

Extinct volcanic plateaus, piercing canyons, several lakes, and ancient petroglyphs make up the surreal landscapes of Tsalka municipality. To inspire your travels to this almost hidden gem of the country, I compiled some of the most astonishing sights you can see in Tsalka and its neighboring towns. 

Why visit Tsalka Municipality

Before we go into the details of the Tsalka travel guide, it’s essential to understand the area’s culture and history. 

Bordering Armenia and Turkey, this southern region of Georgia is the most diverse area in terms of population and nature. Ethnic minorities of Greeks, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians, and Russians comprise the population here. The Georgian ethnic group consists of eco-migrants from the Adjara and Svaneti regions, allowing visitors to experience all these groups’ cultures in one place. 

With harsh weather climate, lack of infrastructure, limited public transportation, and social institutions, most villages of the area seem almost abandoned by the rest of the country. Population decreases yearly, while youngsters flock to the capital and stay there.

The main income source for most families is agriculture. The soil here is rich in nutrients, especially nitrogen, making fertile lands here. The primary activity of farmers here is potato growing, followed by grains such as wheat, barley, beans, oats, corn, and peas. Livestock and bee-keeping are also sources of income for some families.   

11 Things to Do in Tsalka

Tsalka municipality is one of Georgia’s unique areas in terms of cultural heritage, consisting of megalithic structures, archeological sites, and churches. As reported by the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia, more than 600 monuments of cultural heritage are registered in Tsalka. 

Visit Dashbashi Canyon

Dashbashi Canyon, now called Tsalka Canyon, has gained popularity recently because of its gorgeous yet small cascading waterfall. Located at the Tsalka town entrance at 1,230-1,550m above sea level, the canyon is part of Algeti National Park. Carved by the Ktsia (also called Khrami) river in volcanic lavas, the canyon has a distinguished ecosystem different from the typical landscape of Tsalka. 

Find ancient graves near the canyon

You can visit it without going to the canyon

At the start of the trail to Dashbashi Canyon, there’s another small trail leading to St. George Church, nestled on the top of a small hill overlooking the village of Dashbashi and piercing canyon. The noteworthy ones here are the ancient gravestones with carvings telling who’s buried here. 

Overlook at Tsalka Reservoir

This is the largest water reservoir by surface in Georgia, covering around 33,7 sq. km. Constructed in 1946 for a dam to produce electricity, the Soviet government sunk several Greek and Georgian uninhabited villages. Scholars believe that the reservoir hides some of prehistoric Georgia’s most important cultural heritage sites, which haven’t been studied yet.  

When the water level drops in February and March, the residents of Tsalka see the remains of a small church that emerges from the reservoir.

During winter, the reservoir’s surface is covered with ice, making it a spectacular landscape to see. 

Pay a visit to the stunning Tsalka Mosque 

39.1% of the Tsalka population are Muslims, mainly eco-migrants from Adjara, the country’s western region at the Black Sea. When they moved here around 20 years ago, they bought a residential house and turned it into this beautiful mosque. Five Pillars of Islam inspired the design, symbols, and colors of the religious site. 

According to locals who showed us around, there are at least 10 other mosques in the municipality. However, this one sees around 2,000 people every Friday for their big prayers. 

Roam around Bareti Lake 

Located around a 20-minute drive from Tsalka, the lake has no perpetual tributary but subsists from rain. The lake is beautiful during all seasons, with its open spaces, white flowers, water lilies, and mountains on the backdrop, making wonderful scenery. 

Visit Berta Karst Spring 

The natural monument of karst spring water streaming from volcanic beds flows in a stone pool right next to the centuries-old church. What makes these places special is the trout living in the stone pool that can follow the stream and move to the river, but they never do. Therefore, believers think the fish is sacred. 

Nowadays, the sight is on the monastery territory and is a frequent destination for religious tourism in the Kvemo Kartli region. 

Enjoy views of Chilchili River Canyon near Beshtasheni 

The Chilchili River flowing through Beshtasheni and Smadlo villages forms 400 meters long and about 20 meters deep canyon at 1,575 m above sea level. The area is covered with artificial forest and features a natural spring at the gorge’s entrance that can be used for camping. 

Hunt down Trialeti Petroglyphs 

Petroglyphs are prehistoric images carved on ceilings and walls of caves, stones, or cliffs. Tsalka is home to such ancient drawings referred to as Trialeti Petroglyphs found near the village Gantiadi. 

Geometric carvings on unevenly smooth andesite-basalt rocks showcase mainly the local fauna: roe deer, camels, lions, red deer, birds, and fish. Apart from fauna, you can also see a drawing of a hunter with arrows and bows. The petroglyphs date back to different periods – from the Mesolithic to Bronze-Iron Eras. 

Such images are scattered all across the rocks within the territory, so spend a good amount of time if you wish to see most of them.

Spot an ancient Caravanserai  

Today’s territory of Tsalka used to be part of great trade routes back in the day. And a small village of Sakdrioni hides an ancient caravanserai constructed of undressed stones. Unfortunately, only fragments of its walls remain today, but it should have been a massive building with halls and a large fireplace. 

Off-road & hiking trails in Tsalka district

Trails in Tsalka cover not only its territory but also villages of neighboring municipalities. Some routes are marked; however, they might be outdated. Sadly, the infrastructure of these marked trails has limited signs and lacks camping and shelter areas. I haven’t tried any of those trails, but I still include them for your information. 

Manglisi-Kldekari

• Type: hiking, motor trial
• Length: 19,9 km
• Duration: 7 hours
• Sights: Manglisi Sioni Cathedral and Kldekari fortress

The trail starts from Manglisi Sioni Cathedral, one of Georgian architecture’s prominent monuments, and continues to the village Arkhoti, passing through pastures. The trail then goes into a broadleaf forest, where the pathway replaces the road and runs mainly along the river gorge. The route also crosses the river at several spots. After leaving the forest, the trail merges with an unpaved motor road and goes through fields and Choliani village before continuing to Kldekari fortress. 

Tsalka-Nardevani-Berta-Avranlo 

• Type: off-road tour/cycling trail
• Length: 32 km
• Duration: 1:30hrs 
• Sights: Tsalka, Nardevani cyclopean fortress and Virgin Mary church, Berta monastery, Avranlo fortress and churches

The route starts from the center of Tsalka and goes to Nardevani village. The primary part of the trail runs along the paved highway connecting Tsalka with Akhalkalaki. At Nardevani, the path makes a sharp turn to the north and goes to the Nardevani cyclopean fortress. From here, it continues to Berta village and its monastery.

Afterward, the route runs to Avranlo village as the final stop. You’ll explore a few cultural monuments along the way, including one of the best-preserved cyclopean fortresses, with several caves and churches within the citadel territory. 

The best time to visit Tsalka

Cold winters and relatively long warm seasons are typical to this area, with the average temperature being 16 C in July and -4.8 C in January. However, summers are short and cool in even higher-elevation villages, while winters are freezing and long. Therefore, the best time to visit Tsalka and its neighboring regions is in June and July. 

How to travel from Tbilisi to Tsalka

The best way to travel from Tbilisi to Tsalka is to rent a car, as the public transportation within the municipality and its neighboring villages and towns is limited or non-existent. Getting around on your own using marshrutkas to see the sights would be very hard. 

If you don’t want or can’t drive, you can rent a car and hire a driver at GoTrip.

For those adventurous souls, there are daily marshrutkas from Tbilisi to Tsalka, leaving from Navtlughi Bus Station. The first bus leaves at 8 am and the second at 11 am. Afterward, it leaves every hour. The ticket costs 8 GEL one way. Remember that the schedule can change seasonally or by demand, so it’s better to check when they leave beforehand. 

Where to stay in Tsalka

Unfortunately, there are not that many accommodation options in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Even the highly populated towns don’t have that many hotels or guesthouses. Therefore, here are the very best ones in Tsalka itself and nearby small villages.

Hotel Home+ – Located in the center of Tsalka, this is one of the best-looking apartments in town. It’s ideal for families, couples, and even solo travelers, featuring a garden and all the necessary amenities to prepare a light meal or snack.

Hotel Tsalka – Situated a bit far from the center, the hotel has around 68 rooms on the shores of Tsalka Reservoir. The hotel has a garden, pool, and a small forest for relaxation. 

Family Hotel Maia – Located in Dashbashi village, these wooden chalets feature a pool, garden, BBQ, shared lounge, and moderately priced rooms. Breakfast is optional for an additional cost. 

Where to Eat in Tsalka

The town of Tsalka isn’t spoiled with many restaurants and cafes. There are only two I ate at, and I can recommend decent and tasty food. 

Restaurant Pontia serves tasty Greek cuisine. Make sure to try their Moussaka, Greek-Georgian dishes such as boiled potatoes with local asparagus and Khachapuri, fried fish, and salads. 

Restaurant Daisi caters to typical Georgian cuisine. Their vegetable and meat meals are tasty, as well as cheese, Khachapuri, and Lobiani. 

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