Old Town Mtskheta Georgian Crafts and Cuisine
Wander the old town of Mtskheta where artisan workshops, traditional restaurants, and the living culture of this UNESCO-listed ancient capital create an experience of Georgian heritage that feels authentic rather than staged for tourism.
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Old Town Streets
Walk the cobblestone streets of Mtskheta's old town where traditional architecture of the Kartli region — stone houses with wooden balconies and vine-covered walls — creates a visual environment of Georgian vernacular beauty within the UNESCO World Heritage zone.
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Artisan Metalwork Shops
Visit the workshops producing traditional Georgian metalwork jewelry — niello silver, filigree, and cloisonné enamel pieces — continuing a craft tradition that produced treasures now held in Georgia's national museums and medieval church collections.
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Churchkhela Making
Watch or participate in making churchkhela, the Georgian candle-shaped confection of walnuts threaded on string and dipped in grape juice thickened with flour, a traditional food of the Mtskheta region with symbolic importance in Orthodox celebrations.
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Traditional Restaurant Supra
Eat at a traditional Kartlian restaurant where the cuisine of the region surrounding Mtskheta — including mtsvadi grilled meat, pkhali vegetable preparations, and the region's distinctive khinkali dumplings — is served with local wines from the Kartli vineyards.
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Pilgrim Souvenir Market
Browse the market near Svetitskhoveli Cathedral where pilgrims and tourists purchase religious objects, Georgian wool products, pottery, and food souvenirs, the commercial activity outside the holy city gates continuing a tradition of sacred market towns.
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Kartli Winery Visit
Visit a small winery in the Mtskheta area producing wines from the Kartli region's varieties — Chinuri and Goruli Mtsvane grapes — in styles different from both Kakheti's amber wines and Imereti's lighter reds, tasting the diversity of Georgian wine culture.