The birthplace of Joseph Stalin and home to the Stalin Museum, Gori has a reputation for being Georgia’s premier dark tourism destination. Visiting the museum – which includes Stalin’s birth house and armored train carriage – is a trip to say the least, especially when you take the guided tour, which I highly recommend you do.
Stalin is certainly the city’s main claim to fame, but there’s a lot more to Gori than that. Once a pitstop on the Silk Road, Gori sits at the foot of a massive hill crowned with a distinctive stone fortress that cascades down towards the river’s edge. Climb to the top of the fortress for views over the plains of Shida Kartli region – or for even better views, venture further to Gori Jvari church, a short taxi ride or hike from town on the opposite bank of the river.
Gori is a peaceful city with lots of parks, tidy streets, and trellises covered in vines dripping with grapes. The main street is lined with cafes and ice cream shops. Gori’s old town features some interesting brick architecture and backs onto a wonderful undercover produce market