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The Chronicle of Georgia: a Guide to Tbilisi’s Stonehenge

The Chronicle of Georgia is a massive monument in Georgia, found on the outskirts of Tbilisi, and is often referred to as Georgia’s Stonehenge. It used to be a lesser-known monument in Georgia but, due to increasing visibility on social media, it is getting more and more popular among travelers visiting the city. That said, it is still possible to see The Chronicle of Georgia without the crowds. It was not featured in Lonely Planet in 2016 and it is in fact not even well known among Georgian residents. Nonetheless, it is quite impressive and in this guide, I will tell you all you need to know about the Georgia’s Stonehenge!

What is the Chronicle of Georgia

The Chronicle of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia

The Chronicle of Georgia

The Chronicle of Georgia is a monument in Tbilisi consisting of 16 massive columns each reaching a height of 35 meters. It was designed by the famous sculptor Zurag Tsereteli in 1985 but was never fully finished due to reasons that are not fully known. 

Assumingly, funds ran out after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Upon your visit, you can see that some of the towers still need to be fully completed. But don’t worry, this does not detract from how remarkable this place is. 

The Chronicle of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia

While constructed in 1985, the monument looks much older than its actual age. The lower parts of the pillars portray the life of Jesus while the upper parts depict kings, queens, and heroes from Georgian history. 

Those who look well at the bronze and stone reliefs can see scenes out of the life of Christ like the Last Supper and Palm Sunday while on the top of the pillars you can see, for example, queen Tamar who reigned over Georgia from 1184 to 1213 and Ilia Chavchavadze, a writer and poet who is regarded as the father of the nation for initiating the revival of Georgian nationalism during the second half of the nineteenth century.

The monument goes by many names and is also called “The History Memorial of Georgia”, “Georgia’s Stonehenge”, “The Chronicles of Georgia” or “The Stonehenge of Tbilisi”.

Aside from the monument itself, you can also see the cross of Saint Nino, a Georgian script about the history of Georgia, and a small chapel.

Zurab Tsereteli, the Georgian-Russian sculptor of the Chronicle of Georgia, is also a very well-known painter and architect and you can see a lot of his work exhibited all around the world, for example, the “Friendship Forever” monument in Moscow and “Hands” in Madrid. 

Where is the Chronicle of Georgia?

The Chronicle of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia

The stairs up to the Chronicles of Georgia and view over Tbilisi

The Chronicle of Georgia is located on the outskirts of Tbilisi in the Temka neighborhood of the Nadzaladevi district on the top of mount Keeni. It lies also next to Tbilisi sea, an artificial lake with a length of 8,75 kilometers. 

It’s a good idea to combine The Chronicle of Georgia and Tbilisi sea as a day trip. There is a sailing club, food shack and beach just down from the Tbilisi Stonehenge so you can visit The Chronicle in the morning and chill the rest of the day by the beach while having a bite and a swim. 

When you’re at the monument, the uphill location offers some amazing views. On one side you can see the Tbilisi Sea while the other side offers views of the city and its suburbs where you can clearly distinguish the sovjet era buildings from the local architecture. 

On a bright day, you can even see the snow-capped mountains of the Caucasus in a distance. 

How to get to the Chronicle of Georgia

The Chronicle of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia

Stonehenge of Georgia, a magnificent Tbilisi monument.

There are many ways to reach The Chronicle of Georgia, one easier than the other. Before I get into the different options I’d like to tell you what we did and why it was and wasn’t a good idea. 

Because we were traveling on a budget and the weather was nice we thought it to be a good idea to take the metro to metro stop Guramishvili and walk from there for half an hour to the monument.

What we didn’t know then was that the whole way to the monument was a steep way up. We used Maps.me to find the way and it led us away from the streets to gravel pathways in grassy fields with occasional litter on the side of the pathways. 

The Chronicle of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia
The Chronicle of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia

The stairs to the pillars and the Georgian Script.

Although it was a fun adventure I was exhausted from climbing the roads in the sweltering heat only to find upon arrival that there were lots of stairs to be climbed to actually get to the pillars.

Just saying: if you don’t like to do a lot of uphill hiking in the sun, choose one of the other options below!

7 ways to get to the Chronicle of Georgia

The Chronicle of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia

Here are 7 ways to get to the Chronicle of Georgia:

  • Take a tour: While I didn’t see The Chronicle of Georgia advertised by tour companies in the city center, you can find a few tours online that cover the monument. ToursbyLocals have a tour on offer and you can also find one that seems great on GetyourGuide.
  • By car: if you have your own wheels this is probably the most convenient way to visit the Chronicle of Georgia. You can easily find the location in Google Maps by typing “Chronicle of Georgia”.
  • By taxi: If you find yourself in the middle of Tbilisi without wifi or someone to ask for guidance on how to get there, looking for a taxi is probably the best option to get to the Chronicle of Georgia. Remember however that a lot of scams happen with taking a taxi in Tbilisi. They are unmetered and can charge you whatever they want. The best thing to do is buy a local sim card to make sure you have an internet connection and use the next option;
  • By Bolt taxi: If you don’t want to take public transport and are looking for the best way to get to the Chronicle of Georgia then Bolt is your best bet. A one-way transfer to the site should cost around 15 Lari (€ 5) and you can negotiate with the driver to wait for you at the monument and take you back to the city center. Bolt is safe since you don’t have to negotiate prices while booking and the payment is handled through the app. 
  • By metro+walk: This is the option we went for since it only cost us 2 Lari to get to the monument and back to the city. This is a great option for the adventurous types who like to travel on a budget and take their time to explore. Take metro line 1 to Ghrmaghele or Guramishvili metro station. From there, type in the location in Maps.me and start the walk. 
  • By metro+bus: If you don’t like to walk, you can also take a bus. Take metro line 1 to Ghrmaghele metro station. Stay on the same side of the street and take bus 360 to the monument. You can see the bus stops in Google Maps and decide where to get of the best. You will still have to do a little climb. 
  • By bus: If you’re staying close to Tbilisi Central Railway Station there should be a bus going all the way to Tbilisi lake, dropping you off at Tbilisi lake. It is also called bus 360. You will still need to climb to the top of the monument. 

If I would visit the Chronicle of Georgia again, I would do it this way: Firstly I would order a Bolt taxi to take me to the monument to avoid all the climbing. After visiting the monument I would make my way down to the Tbilisi sea for a swim. After that, I would look for bus 360 to take me to Tbilisi Central Railway station back in the city center. 

Tips for visiting the Chronicle of Georgia

Tbilisi Sea, Tbilisi, Georgia

Tbilisi Sea, Tbilisi, Georgia.

Here are some useful tips for visiting the Chronicle of Georgia!

  • Wear comfortable shoes if you plan on taking the metro and walking.
  • The Chronicle of Georgia entree fee is….free!
  • The monument is open 24/7. I think It’s a great idea to come early in the morning to catch the sunset or at dawn, to make some beautiful photos during the “Golden hour”. 
  • It is a good idea to make a (half a) day trip combining the Chronicle of Georgia with a swim in the Tbilisi Sea. In this case, don’t forget to pack a towel and bathing suit with you.
  • Buy a local Georgian SIM card so you can access this post without needing WI-FI or buy an E-sim for Georgia via Airalo.

Final thoughts

The Chronicle of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia

There you go! I hope you enjoyed this guide about visiting the Chronicle of Georgia in Tbilisi. Let me know in the comments below if you think this guide was useful. And let me know if you have any tips for visiting this impressive monument!

ENJOY!

Fancy more Georgia travel ideas?

Disclaimer: This post may include affiliate links. If you click on them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

The Chronicles of Georgia pinterest pin
The Chronicles of Georgia pinterest pin

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travelers and dreamers

Hi! I am Annelies and this is Travelers & Dreamers, a blog about conscious travel which means traveling in a more mindful way, with a positive impact on the world and yourself!

On this website, I cover different topics like slow travel, plant-based food guides, responsible travel, sustainable packing, eco-travel, and more!

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