Vashlovani National Park

Vashlovani National Park (also know as ვაშლოვანის ეროვნული პარკი in Georgian) is a 442.5 km² park situated in east of the region of Kakheti and of Georgia, just in the border with Azerbaijan. This park is unique because of its bad-land-like areas of desert, its semi-desert steppe vegetation and arid and deciduous forests. It's also home to the great cliffs-of-the-canyons and the magnificent flood plains and forests by river Alazani.

How do I arrive to Vashlovani National Park?

  Vashlovani National Park isn't bad communicated with other places in Kakheti.

• Bus: there are marshrutkas departing from Dedoplis Tskaro's bus station to Telavi (twice per day; aprox. 2 hours) or Tbilisi (hourly; aprox. 3 hours).
• Car: the main way to enter Vashlovani National Park is via Dedoplis Tskaro, that can be reached from places such as: Sighnaghi (aprox. 45 minutes), Gurjaani (aprox. 55 minutes), Lagodekhi (aprox. 1 hour) in the Lagodekhi National Park, Chachuna Managed Reserve (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes), Sagarejo (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes), Telavi (aprox. 1 hour 40 minutes) and Tbilisi (aprox. 2 hour 5 minutes).
  

  Once in the Park the best ways to move around the park are the car (4WD), jeep tours () or simply hiking.

History

The town is is first mentioned as a military post established by king David IV of Georgia (literally meaning "the Queen’s spring" to Queen Tamar). After the annexation of Georgia, Russians established a military fort in 1803 to fend off the area being attacked by the Dagestan rebels and renamed the village into Tsarskie Kolodtsy (the royal wells in Russian). Two German entrepreneurs, Carl Heinrich and Ernst Werner von Siemens, established an oil refinery near the village which functioned until the mid-1870s. The village retained its military installations and a large garrison during Georgia's brief independence from 1918 to 1921. The Soviet government changed the name into Tsiteltskaro (Red Spring in Georgian) and granted the settlement a town's status in 1963. Vashlovani National Park is also located within the Dedoplis Tskaro municipality and here, the first time the track of a Caucasian leopard was discovered in 2003 (recorded for the first time the following year).

What can I visit in Vashlovani National Park?

  Vashlovani National Park is a good idea to explore the most arid part (although still interesting) of Kakheti. There's an entrance fee to get into the park (5₾) and visiting these territories is possible only by off-road vehicle. While visiting boundary territories (Mijniskure, Takhti-Tepa and Kaklis Kure) it is necessary to register at Visitor Center of Vashlovani Protected Areas and hold the copy of your identification document with you. 

 Now it will be explained what to do in the park according to the town or village where they are or the nearest one:    

• Dedoplis Tskaro (დედოფლისწყარო in Georgian, Дедоплис-Цкаро in Russian): 5,940 inhabitants town in the middle of Shiraki Plain, close to the border with Azerbaijan and the easternmost municipality in Georgia.

  • Vashlovani National Park Administration and Visitor Center (9-18 Mon-Fri, 9-16 Sat-Sun): office where getting registered to get into the national park and getting some information about the area.
    

  • Elia Monastery: Georgian Orthodox monastery situated on a double-peak limestone mountain. One of its churches dates back to the 6th century. From one side of this mountain there's an entrance to a tunnel that links the monastery with Khornabuji Castle (though nowadays the tunnel is collapsed and only the entrance remains). It was visited by Alexandre Dumas during his trip to Caucasus and Georgia in 1858.
    
  • Khornabuji Fortress: fortress first mentioned in the 5th century that is often called "Fortress of queen Tamar". The fortress belonged to the Persian Empire after the abolition of the kingship in Kartli in the 6th century. The fortress was one of the most important of the Principality of Hereti (hereafter the Kingdom of Hereti). After the unification of Georgia in the 11th century, Khonabuji became the center of the Saeristavo and residence of feudal family Makhatlisdze. It was rebuilt following instructions of Queen Tamar in the 13th century but then destroyed by Mongul invaders, not recovering its past glory.
    
  • Artsivi Gorge: unique valley that has a beautiful landscape where finding more thant 60 species of birds (like black storks or Griffon vultures) and endangered plants that can't be found anywhere else in Georgia. It's an excellent place for birdwatching. 
  • The town has an interesting a memorial from Soviet times, Dedoplistskaro WW2 Memorial, that is worth a look.
    
  • The main sights in Dedopls Tskaro can be discovered by hiking Artsivi Canyon-Khornabuji Fortress-Elia Monastery Trail (17.4 km). This hike connects the three main sightseeing points in the town and it's considered an easy trail.
    
• One of the tours to discover the National Park is Kaklis Kure-Alanazni Peninsula Jeep Tour (123 km) that departs from Dedoplis Tskaro. The aim of this visit is arriving to Kaslis Kure, the bay of the peninsula on the Alazani River where the habitat for the natural nut has been preserved, as well as the only specimens of giant ash trees, oaks and elm trees. It's situated on the Georgian side of the border with Azerbaijan.
  
• Another possible route is Mijniskure-Shavi Rock Jeep Tour (139.7 km), a tour characterised by Alazani floodplain, probably being the tour that has the most beautiful landscapes. Here it's possible to take some rest at Mijiniskure Shelter, just by river Alazani. After some rest, the trip continues towards the black rock, or Shavi Rock, with its forests. Along the tour there are remains of old monasteries. In winter, it's possible to see the ridge of the Caucasus Mountains from Shavi Rock.
  
• The last of the tours is Pantishara-Datvis Khevi Jeep Tour (116.5 km). This route has the southeastern part of the park as destination, where finding a lot of wildlife (including relict plants and trees). Pantishara Canyon is a narrow valley with many scenic points and then, the tour arrives to Datvis Canyon. The main attraction of the route is the fossilized bones of the southern elephant,(the largest of them reaches 87 cm).

Landscapes of Vashlovani National Park

Ruins of Khornabuji Fortress

Takhti Tepha Mud Volcano

Just in the western border between Kakheti and Azerbaijan, in the floodplains of river Iori, there's a protected area: Chachuna Managed Reserve (52 km²). By this river it's located Dali Reservoir, a charming reservoir where fishing is allowed. In this reserved the semi-desert landscape meet volcanic ash layers, giving birth to characteristic flora and fauna. But the main highlight of here are the mud volcanoes (erupting mud, oil and gas whose mud spilled out of the vent goes down to the valley). The most important ones are Takhti Tepha Mud Volcano (4 m of diameter) and Kilakupra Mud Volcano. To visit these landscapes it can be a good choice taking Takhti Tepha and Kilakupra Mud Volcanoes Jeep Tour (110 km).

Khirsa Monastery

In the north of Dedoplis Tskaro it can also be visited some monuments of cultural importance and Khirsa Monastery is one of them. This Georgian Orthodox monastery was founded by Stepane Khirseli (one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers) in the 6th century, and it's believed that he is buried here. Its main church was converted in a domed church in the 10th century, remodeled several times between the 11th and 16th centuries. Like many other churches in Kakheti, the façades don't have much external ornamentation but it does have some inscriptions in asomtavruli script. The interior is divided up by four columns and terminates in a horseshoe-shaped apse.

Where can I eat in Vashlovani National Park?

The main places to eat in Vashlovani National Park are located in Dedoplis Tskaro.

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