Plizio Visual Lab
Chiatura
ℹ️Practical info — Chiatura
▾
🌤 Weather — 5 days
📍 Nearby
Sights nearby
💡 Tips
- The central modern cable car system is the main attraction and an essential transport link for locals; it's cheap and efficient.
- Be respectful of the mining history and the working population; this is an industrial town, not just a tourist spot.
- Visit the Katskhi Pillar, located about 20 minutes from the town; you can't climb it, but the view from the bottom is striking.
- The Mgvimevi Convent, carved into a cliffside, involves a steep climb but gives a unique historical perspective.
🍽 Food
The classic round cheese bread is a staple here; enjoy it at any local bakery in the town center.
A hearty traditional dish cooked in a clay pot, excellent after a day of exploring the gorge.
Refreshing Georgian tarragon or pear lemonade is widely available and pairs well with baked goods.
🛍 Shopping · 🧘 Quiet spots
A genuine local market where you can find fresh Imeretian cheese and seasonal fruits.
Occasionally, small antique or second-hand shops might carry old Soviet pins or books.
A peaceful and secluded monastery built directly into the rock face above the river.
Enjoy the serene and dramatic landscape surrounding the limestone monolith just outside town.
Water temperature…
Chiatura, with around 12,000 inhabitants, is an extraordinary mining town in the Imereti region of western Georgia, squeezed into a more than 400-metre-deep gorge of the Kvirila River. Its fame rests on a globally unique manganese deposit that has been industrially exploited since 1879; at the height of the Soviet period more than 60 % of Soviet manganese and a significant share of world output came from Chiatura. Because the ore seams lie on plateaus high above the gorge, from 1954 the mining authority built a remarkable network of passenger ropeways, with more than 17 lines connecting cliff-top neighbourhoods with the mines and the valley below. Parts of this system, including one of the oldest passenger ropeways still in operation worldwide, have been refurbished since 2018 with modern glass-walled cabins. Other highlights include the Stalinist town centre, the Mining Museum, the Katskhi Pillar with its rock-hewn church atop a 40-metre limestone monolith and the medieval Mghvimevi cave monastery.
- Location: Georgia
- Top sights: Soviet Monument · chik`aura · gedebis tba
- Nearby: Ambrolauri (23 km)
- Population: ~11.943 (2025)
Best time to visit & climate
The most pleasant time to visit is Jun–Aug.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °C | -8 | -7 | -3 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 6 | -1 | -6 |
| Rain mm | 60 | 46 | 74 | 65 | 83 | 85 | 61 | 55 | 70 | 73 | 69 | 53 |
Geography
Facts
- Built in a gorge over 400 meters deep.
- Home to a world-class manganese deposit since 1879.
- Unique cable car network established in 1954.
- At its peak, it had more than 17 ropeway lines.
- Nearby Katskhi Pillar is a 40-meter limestone monolith.
- New glass-walled cabins were introduced in 2018.
Explore nearby
Notable places around
Route planner — Car & Motorhome
Where do you start? We build the route here, with stops and country notes along the way.
© OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenRouteService
Sights in the town Chiatura (5)
Frequently asked questions
What is Chiatura famous for?
Do the famous cable cars still work?
What attraction is located near Chiatura?
What is the weather like in Chiatura?
Are there hotels in Chiatura?
Chiatura: where is it located?
Chiatura: what is there to see?
Chiatura: when is the best time to visit?
Chiatura: why is it worth visiting?
Nearby cities
History & landmarks
Nature
More places
