Batonistsikhe Castle Telavi

Batonistsikhe was the residence of the Kakhetian kings in the 17th and 18th centuries and remains today a superbly preserved old castle right in the middle of Telavi. The complex includes a renovated Persian-style palace where Erekle II was born and died, two small churches, the royal baths, and a state-of-the-art combined history and art museum. Enter from the western side of the fortress walls.