Tsinandali Estate garden is situated on the slope of the mountain and this gives it good amount of sun and climate variation throughout the year. One can enter the park by going through the ally of cypress trees through the main gate. Interesting part here is the fact that from the main road to the quiet park there is only 3 min ride. And with one car turn, whole environment is changing, everything seems more cultured and well looked after. On the main loan o in front of the historic palace, there is a pond with gold fiches and waterlilies, during the summer. There viewer can observe neatly cut boxwood bushes and rose shrubs that add settle colour to the green symphony.
The palace-museum it is main jewel of the garden, thus all the plants are subjugated to its refined style: the combination of Georgian, European and orientalist styles. To the left from the main lawn there is rather interesting box labyrinth at the centre of with is so called wish tree, where visitors put colourful ribbons to wish for love, prosperity and success. Labyrinth continues with the so called lovers ally, long rose arch, where climbing rose varieties fill the space with smell every May month.
Next to the museum there is 19th C. refrigerator covered with heavy vegetation from above and giving desired cold temperature due tue unique architectural decisions. Historic garden includes several important buildings besides museum: among whom 19th Winery, guest house, governor’s house, chess palace, old church remains and two 19th C refrigerators are worth noting.
Tsinandali Garden is covered with complicated system of rain water stream channels. And several bridges. Whole garden is covered in numerous man made mounds and other landscape features that reveals 19th C patterns built during Prince Alexander Chavchavadze and his descendants.
Tsinandali garden is the host of over 1500 species of trees, shrubs and bushes, annuals and perennials from every continent.
Some highlights about Tsinandali Alexander Chavchavadze Museum and Garden, in Tsinandali (Georgia)
M-42 Tsinandali
Kakheti, Georgia
Coordinates: 41.89714, 45.56791
Open in Google Maps
Web: tsinandali.com
Email: info@tsinandali.com; pipiai@tsinandali.com
Phone: 00995 570 704 389
From Tbilisi: 1h, 40min by road.
From Telavi: 15 min. by road.
Tsinandali garden was built by Prince Alexander Chavchavadze (1786-1846) in early 19th C. by 1812, on the place of his father’s original garden he built first romantic garden. Prince Alexander specially invited Italian landscape designers to reimagine patrimonial gardens into something European. Soon Tsinandali Garden became well-known throughout Caucasus region. Visitors were comparing it to Kew and Richmond gardens.
Tsinandali garden sparkled new European trend of garden building in Georgia. Unfortunately in 1854 Tsinandali Estate and garden was burnt down by Schamil’s Caucasian military troops, Tsinandali park was reconstructed by the Russian imperial order in 1886, after Romanov Family acquired the palace and patrimony.
After the demolition of Russian regiment, garden became public space in 1918, but then in 1921 Soviet regiment turned garden and park into a wine producer’s park, original 19th century pattern changed heavily. Nevertheless, in 1987, Tsinandali Park was recognized as park of national importance.
After the fall of USSR park is under neglect; management transferred to private company and since then Tsinandali park started to return to its original 19th century pattern.
Today it is open to public to observe all the changes throughout the centuries. One can observe different styles: Romanticism, industrialism, soviet monumentalism. Infrastructure is constantly improving and it attracts more and more visitors throughout country and region.
Prince Alexander Chavchavadze, the founder of the Georgian romanticism, turned the estate in the village of Tsinandali, which he inherited from his father into cultural and intellectual center of the country - the status it preserves to this day. The place regularly hosts exhibitions, concerts, literary events and master classes.
The complex in Tsinandali embraces the memorial house, a landscape garden, a historical winery, wine cellar, hotel and a café. The vineyards have been restored and wine production has resumed. We offer you a pleasurable and informative experience: you will look into the background of the noble Chavchavadze family, who played a significant part in the national history; enjoy the views of the garden, have a look at the winery and sample the “Tsinandali” (first produced by the Chavchavadzes) etc. Georgian wines and round off the visit at the historical hotel.
The landscape garden in Tsinandali is the first European-type recreation zone in Georgia. It was laid out by the landscape architects Alexander Chavchavadze invited from Europe. The garden is unique for its exotic plants and layout. In it, there is “the love lane”. The legend says that if lovers can walk though it with their eyes shut, their life together will be happy. It was in this garden that Nino Chavchavadze and Alexander Griboedov first met to be married soon.
It was in the Tsinandali winery that the wine was first bottled in Georgia. Al. Chavchavadze’s collection of vintage wines consists of over 15 000 bottles, with the oldest dated with 1814.
Since 2008, the Tsinandali complex has been under the patronage of Silk Road Group that has invested over 12 mln USD. Over 100 exhibits have been restored and more than 500 have been acquired. We can tell you a lot more about the Chavchavadze family estate but you’d better come to see it yourself!
Tsinandali Park is situated on Alazani valley, on the basin of Kisi River; surrounded by river Kisi from North-West and West sides; from north Alazani valley and Caucasus Mountains; from East Tsinandali Village and from south natural oak forest and vineyards.
The climate is dry continental, there are three types of soil that can be discovered in Tsinandali garden: brown-carbonated, brown-typical, and brown alkaline.
Based on the soil studies, proposal plans can be made in order to understand where can be planted trees with bigger trunks and which part of the garden is made for smaller shrubs with the weaker root system. Initially this facilitated to certain type of garden design patterns in early 19th C.
Today park represents a mixture of wild parks and well cultured French style gardens.