Tbilisi to Chiatura and Katskhi Pillar: Soviet cable cars and a monk on a rock

Two utterly unique sights in one industrial region

Chiatura and the Katskhi Pillar sit 15 kilometres apart in the upper Imereti region of western Georgia, in a landscape of manganese-mining river gorges, abandoned Soviet infrastructure, and limestone karst towers. Chiatura is a mining town whose Soviet-era cable cars — once the densest urban aerial-tram network in the world, built from 1954 onward to ferry miners up the vertical canyon walls to their houses on the ridges — are being retired and partly replaced with modern equivalents. Katskhi Pillar is a 40-metre limestone monolith with a tiny monastic cell and church on its summit, occupied for most of the past 1,500 years and currently home to a single monk who descends a ladder once a week for supplies.

Neither site is on the standard tourist circuit. Both are 3 hours from Tbilisi and 90 minutes from Kutaisi. Combining them into a day trip — ideally based from Kutaisi rather than Tbilisi — is one of the most unusual experiences Georgia offers.

At a glance

• Distance from Tbilisi: 220 km west
• Driving time: 3 hours each way from Tbilisi; 1–1.5 hours each way from Kutaisi
• Total day length: 10–12 hours from Tbilisi; 6–7 hours from Kutaisi
• Best season: Year-round; western Georgian rain makes a waterproof essential
• Difficulty: Easy visiting; the Katskhi base chapel involves some steps
• Recommendation: Combine with a Kutaisi stay rather than as a Tbilisi day trip

How to get there

From Kutaisi (the sensible approach)

Chiatura and Katskhi are natural day trips from Kutaisi, not Tbilisi. The E60 highway runs east from Kutaisi to the Sachkhere junction; Katskhi is 3 km off the highway, Chiatura 12 km further south. A rental car or taxi from Kutaisi covers both in a comfortable 6-hour day.

From Tbilisi (longer)

The same destination requires 6 hours of driving on the day. Possible but tiring. The E60 is a good modern highway with a Gori bypass and steady progress west; the return is the same.

Organised tour

Tours to Chiatura and Katskhi are offered by some Kutaisi operators and a few Tbilisi ones, but are not yet a standard offering. Expect 200+ GEL per person for a private-small-group day tour.

Rental car

Straightforward. Parking is available at both sites.

Marshrutka

Possible but tedious. Tbilisi to Chiatura marshrutkas run from Didube (15 GEL, 3 hours); Katskhi is reachable from Chiatura by local taxi (20 GEL each way). Feasible for budget travellers with time and patience.

Train

A slow train from Tbilisi to Chiatura runs daily — it is one of the classic railway journeys of Georgia, taking 5–6 hours through dramatic river gorges. Beautiful but not useful for a same-day return.

Suggested itineraries

From Kutaisi (recommended)

• 09:30: Depart Kutaisi
• 11:00: Katskhi Pillar (1.5 hours — base church and viewing; monastery on top is not accessible to visitors)
• 12:45: Drive to Chiatura (25 minutes)
• 13:15: Lunch in Chiatura
• 14:30: Chiatura cable cars and Soviet architecture walk (2 hours)
• 16:30: Optional: Mgvimevi Monastery (30 minutes)
• 17:00: Return to Kutaisi
• 18:30: Arrival

From Tbilisi (long)

• 08:00: Depart Tbilisi
• 11:00: Arrive Katskhi (1 hour)
• 12:00: Drive to Chiatura (25 minutes)
• 12:30: Lunch
• 13:45: Chiatura cable cars (2 hours)
• 15:45: Depart for Tbilisi
• 19:00: Arrival

Combined with Kutaisi sights (2 days)

Day 1: Gelati, Motsameta, Bagrati in Kutaisi. Overnight Kutaisi. Day 2: Katskhi, Chiatura, return to Tbilisi or continue west.

What to see at each stop

Katskhi Pillar

A single freestanding limestone monolith rising 40 metres vertically from a low forested ridge 10 km from Chiatura. The flat top is around 150 square metres. On the summit sits a small 9th–10th century Georgian Orthodox chapel, a hermit cell, and a wine cellar. The summit was occupied by hermits from perhaps the 6th century onwards; abandoned after the Ottoman invasions; excavated and restored in 1944 and again in 2005; and since 1993 inhabited by the monk Maxime Qavtaradze, who lives there full-time and descends a 40-metre iron ladder once or twice a week for supplies.

The summit is strictly closed to visitors — only the monk and, occasionally, bishops are allowed up. At the base, however, an accessible church (Simeon the Stylite’s Church) from the 2010s serves as the public-facing part of the monastic complex, with a spring, benches, and a clear view up to the pillar. A path circles the pillar and gives the full 360-degree appreciation of its sheer geology.

Allow 45 minutes to an hour. The setting is quiet and moving; the sight of the ladder and the small church on top is unforgettable. Modest dress for the base church.

Chiatura town

A Soviet-era manganese-mining town in a steep river gorge. The town’s unique feature is its vertical infrastructure: the canyon walls rise 200 metres almost vertically above the river, and the Soviet authorities in the 1950s built an unprecedented network of aerial cable cars — initially 17 lines — to link the town centre in the canyon floor to the residential quarters and the mines on the plateau above.

Most of the original 1954–1970s cable-car stations are now closed, dismantled, or replaced — the old cabins were approaching their 60th-year limits. A new set of modern gondolas has replaced some of the core lines, meaning the functional cable-car experience still exists but in less visceral Soviet form.

What is still there to see:

• The Soviet station architecture: Abandoned or semi-functional Stalin-era cable-car stations with their 1950s socialist-realist detailing
• The working modern lines: Two or three gondola lines currently operate and can be ridden for a small fare (2–5 GEL)
• The canyon itself: The river gorge walk through Chiatura is dramatic regardless of cable cars
• The mine-adjacent socialist town centre: A surviving Soviet industrial town with limited modernisation

A 90-minute walk through Chiatura covers the core. A local guide who knows the cable-car history adds significantly to the visit.

Mgvimevi Monastery

Ten minutes from Chiatura, the rock-cut Mgvimevi Monastery is a 13th-century cliff-face complex often overlooked by visitors. Quiet, atmospheric, and easy to access — a good quiet contrast to the industrial Chiatura experience.

Where to eat

Chiatura: Limited options. Cafe Verona and Hotel Imeri’s restaurant are the two reliable sit-down choices. Cheap, regional cooking. Do not expect refinement.

Katskhi: A single small cafe at the base of the pillar serves tea, coffee, and basic snacks.

Back in Kutaisi: Much better dining options — see the Kutaisi day-trip guide. Baraqa, Toma’s Wine Cellar, and Palaty are reliable. Dinner in Kutaisi is a far better meal than anything available in Chiatura.

What to pack

• Waterproof jacket: Western Georgia is wet. Rainfall is likely in any season.
• Comfortable walking shoes: Chiatura has hills; Katskhi base has steps.
• Modest clothing: For the Katskhi base church and Mgvimevi.
• Small backpack: Camera, water, snacks.
• Cash: Small denomination GEL for cable car fares and cafes.
• Camera: Wide angle for Katskhi, zoom for industrial Chiatura details.

FAQ

Can I visit the top of Katskhi Pillar? No. The summit is closed to the public. Only the monk, occasional monastery visitors, and bishops are permitted. The base church and the pillar’s surrounding path are the public experience.

Are the original Soviet cable cars still running? Mostly no. Many of the original 1954–1970s cabins were retired in the 2010s. Two to three modern replacement gondolas operate; some original stations remain as architectural artefacts.

Is a guide needed? Not strictly, but a guide who speaks Russian or Georgian will add context at Chiatura (labour history, local mining life, which cable cars served which mines). At Katskhi, the sight speaks for itself.

Is Chiatura depressing? It is honest. The town is a Soviet-era industrial centre in gradual post-industrial decline. This is part of its interest; it is a counterpoint to the tourist-ready wine towns and mountain churches elsewhere in Georgia. Budget travellers and those interested in Soviet history love it.

Can I combine Chiatura with Kutaisi sights? Yes — ideally over two days. Day 1 in Kutaisi (Gelati, Bagrati, Prometheus Cave); day 2 to Katskhi and Chiatura. See the Kutaisi day-trips guide.

Is the region safe? Yes. Western Imereti is one of the calmest parts of Georgia. Chiatura is a small, friendly town; crime is essentially absent. The usual travel-safety common sense applies.

Can I stay overnight in Chiatura? A couple of basic hotels and guest houses exist. Most travellers base in Kutaisi and day-trip out.

Related guides

• Day trips from Kutaisi — Chiatura and Katskhi in the Kutaisi day-trip context
• Churches and monasteries of Georgia — Katskhi in architectural context
• Day trips from Tbilisi overview — all options compared
• Getting around Georgia — transport between regions

Book a Katskhi Pillar and Chiatura tour from Kutaisi Book Gelati and Motsameta day tour (pairs with a Katskhi-Chiatura day)