GERMAN COLONIES IN GEORGIA

German settlements began to appear in Georgia in the early 19th century. At first, locals were cautious of the newcomers, but soon German colonists created a new world here: they introduced new trades and skills, half-timbered houses and tall kirches appeared in Kartli, German architects worked in Tbilisi, and the term “Georgian German” was born. Their story became an example of how an entire world can vanish in a single day.

Together, we’ll search for traces and artifacts from that era in the former German colonies of Elisabethtal and Katharinenfeld: walk the streets, talk about the fate of the settlers and German architecture, visit a Lutheran kirche, read Gothic inscriptions on an old cemetery, and climb the hilltop to the Monastery of Saints Peter and Paul, with a breathtaking panoramic view.

At the end of the tour, we’ll descend into a traditional German wine cellar to taste fine Kartli wines and cheeses, some made using Swabian techniques.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• German quarters
  Entire streets where Georgian and German architecture merge

• House-museum of Immanuel Walker & a 19th-century wine cellar
  Tasting rare Bolnisi wines and local specialties

• Lutheran kirche and a Catholic cemetery

• Lunch in an authentic German tavern, where dishes are still made from old Swabian recipes

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE:

• Comfortable transfer

• Water

• Visit to the Immanuel Walker House-Museum

• Tasting of autochthonous Bolnisi wines and local delicacies

• Visit to the first German wine cellar

• Guidance by a qualified tour guide

NOT INCLUDED:

• Lunch at the German tavern, located in a historic building from the 1930s

TIMING:

10:00 — Group meets at Chernyi Cooperative Coffee Roasters
10:30–11:30 — Transfer to Elisabethtal
11:30–12:30 — City walk, visit to the kirche & Catholic cemetery
12:30–14:00 — Lunch at the German tavern
14:00–15:00 — Transfer to Katharinenfeld
15:00–15:30 — Visit to Bolnisi Sioni
15:30–16:00 — Visit to Saints Peter and Paul Monastery and scenic viewpoint
16:00–16:30 — Walk around the town and visit to a wine cellar
16:30–18:30 — Tour & tasting at Walker’s house
18:30–19:30 — Return to Tbilisi

ORGANIZATIONAL NOTES:

• Look for the guide holding a sign: "Tbilisi Through the Eyes of an Engineer"

• Radio guides will be used (for groups of 6+). You may bring your own wired headphones (mini jack 3.5 mm)

• Children under 14 are not allowed due to the tour's duration and focus

• Partial refunds are possible (minus organizational fees) no later than 3 days before the trip. After that, payments are non-refundable