Gremi Castle

Gremi Castle lies next to the village of the same name, in the Kvareli municipality in the Kakheti region in Georgia.

Gremi Castle consists of a keep with a bell tower, a church and a curtain wall. The keep was built during the 15th century by George II of Kakheti. It is situated on a foothill near the confluence of the Bolia and Intsoba rivers.

A century later, in 1565 the Church of the Archangels was built by Levan of Kakheti. In that time the town of Gremi was the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti with Gremi Castle serving as its citadel. The keep served as the royal apartments. Between 1614 and 1616 the town suffered several devastating raids by the troops of Shah Abbas I of Persia. The town was turned into a ruin and never regained its past prosperity. So the kings of Kakheti transferred their capital to Telavi in the mid-17th century.

In 2011 the site was restored and the church and keep were reroofed. During these works the entrance to a secret escape tunnel was discovered on the 2nd floor of the keep which led down and out of the castle.

The church is very nice with great frescoes. The keep and a hall attached to it are now a small history museum with lots of stairs and rooms to explore and it offers great views of the surrounding countryside. A short distance up the hill stands a fortified bell tower of a small church.

The courtyard and the church at Gremi Castle can freely be visited. For the keep you will have to pay a small entry fee which is surely worth it. A great keep.

Gallery