# Green Monastery (Mtsvane), Borjomi > The Green Monastery (Mtsvane) is a working men’s monastery of St George in a wooded gorge near Chitakhevi, 9–12 km from Borjomi, with a 9th–10th-century church. Entry is free; there are no official hours, so come in daylight — access is limited during the liturgy. Allow 45 minutes on site, 1.5–2 hours with a taxi there and back. Cover shoulders and knees. Web page: https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/green-monastery - City: [Borjomi](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi), Georgia - YesGo score: 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free; donations welcome - Hours: No timetable; daytime, limited access during services - Where: Chitakhevi village, 9–12 km southwest of Borjomi on the Akhaltsikhe road - Getting there: Taxi ≈ 20 min, or an Akhaltsikhe marshrutka to the Chitakhevi turn-off, then walk the dirt road - Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered; headscarf and skirt for women - Payment: Cash in lari for the taxi, candles and donations - Coordinates: 41.81080, 43.30973 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **9th–10th century** — date of the main church, a three-nave basilica (source: English Wikipedia; Georgian National Tourism Administration; Advantour) - **St George** — the dedication — confirmed by a roof fragment bearing his name, found in 2012 (source: English Wikipedia; Advantour) - **16th century** — troops of Shah Tahmasp I sacked the monastery and killed the monks (source: English Wikipedia; Georgian National Tourism Administration; Advantour) - **Borjomi-Kharagauli** — the monastery lies in the national park’s southwestern corner (source: English Wikipedia; Georgian National Tourism Administration; Eurasia Travel) - **Kristefore and Tevdore** — disciples of Grigol Khandzteli, credited with founding it (source: Georgian National Tourism Administration; Advantour; Eurasia Travel) - **2 storeys** — in the free-standing bell tower: a tiny chapel below, the belfry above (source: English Wikipedia; Georgian National Tourism Administration; Advantour) - **St George and the dragon** — carved on the east side of the bell tower (source: Georgian National Tourism Administration; Advantour; Eurasia Travel) - **18th century** — war emptied the valley and the monastery was abandoned (source: English Wikipedia; Georgian Holidays) - **2002–2003** — monks returned — sources give either year (source: English Wikipedia; Georgian National Tourism Administration; Georgian Holidays) - **“Green”** — for the greenish stone of its walls and the forest around it (source: English Wikipedia; Georgian National Tourism Administration; Eurasia Travel) ## How to get to the Green Monastery from Borjomi 1. Start at the Borjomi Central Park gates on 9 April Street, by the Ekaterina spring pavilion. 2. The easy way is a **taxi**: about 20 minutes west on the Akhaltsikhe road, past Likani, to the turn-off in Chitakhevi village and up the dirt road. Agree the fare before you get in and pay in cash. 3. On a budget: walk about 20 minutes to the bus station by Borjomi railway station, take a marshrutka towards Akhaltsikhe and ask the driver to drop you at the Green Monastery (Mtsvane) turn-off in Chitakhevi. 4. From the turn-off, follow the narrow dirt road up the gorge beside the stream. No guide gives an exact length; unofficially it is about 2 km. It gets muddy after rain, so wear proper shoes. 5. Back the same way. Marshrutkas to Borjomi can be flagged down on the main road, but it is easier to ask your taxi to wait. > **Dress code: cover shoulders and knees** This is a working Georgian Orthodox men’s monastery. Women need a headscarf and a skirt below the knee; men need long trousers — no shorts or vests. Wraps are usually available at the entrance, but that is unofficial, so bring your own scarf. Keep your voice down in the church and ask before photographing the monks. ## Green Monastery entrance fee and opening hours Entry is **free**. Candles and donations are up to you and paid in cash — there is no card machine. The only real cost of the trip is the taxi. The monastery has no official opening hours. The grounds are generally open in daylight, but visitors’ access is limited during the liturgy, most often on Sunday mornings and church holidays. For a quiet look inside, come on a weekday around midday. Georgia’s currency is the lari (GEL). Visa and Mastercard work in most cafés and shops in Borjomi, but taxis and donations are cash, so get lari from an ATM in town before you set off. ## Is the Green Monastery worth visiting? Yes, if you have more than a day in Borjomi. It is one of the oldest churches around the resort and by far the most peaceful spot nearby: an early medieval basilica, a carved bell tower, a stream and thick forest, with hardly a souvenir stall in sight. Count on 45 minutes on site and 1.5–2 hours in total. Skip it if you only have half a day — stay in [Borjomi Central Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-central-park) and walk up to the [sulphur baths](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-sulphur-baths) instead. And don’t expect a richly decorated interior: the church is plain and dim. Its appeal is age and setting. ## What is the Green Monastery? Its official name is the Chitakhevi Monastery of St George; locals call it Mtsvane, Georgian for “green”, after the greenish stone of its walls and the woods that wrap around it. It sits in a narrow side gorge in the southwestern corner of **Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park**, home to a small community of monks. The main church is a three-nave basilica from the late 9th or early 10th century. Tradition credits Kristefore and Tevdore, disciples of the monastic leader Grigol Khandzteli, with founding it. In 2012 a roof fragment inscribed with St George’s name in the old Asomtavruli script turned up on site, confirming the dedication. ## History and the legend of the red stones In the 16th century troops of the Persian **Shah Tahmasp I** sacked the monastery and killed the monks. Legend says their blood stained the stones of the stream below, and reddish boulders still lie in the water — a story, not a fact, but the reason pilgrims have come here for centuries. War and banditry emptied the Borjomi valley in the 18th century and the monastery was left to the forest for more than two hundred years. Clearing began in 1978, restoration followed in the 1980s, and monks moved back in 2002 or 2003 — sources disagree on the year. ## What to see - **The Church of St George** — dim inside, lit mainly by two windows in the apse, with fragments of medieval wall painting in the apse and on the west wall. - **The bell tower** — a small chapel on the ground floor, an open belfry above, and St George slaying the dragon carved on the east side. Encyclopedias date it to the 15th–16th century; guides range from the 14th to the 17th. - **Ruined monks’ cells** — a reminder that the medieval monastery was much bigger. - **The springs** behind the church, considered holy — bring a bottle. Locals speak of seven springs (unofficial). - **The stream with reddish stones** below the monastery, the one from the legend. - The forest itself: shade, cool air and the sound of water, even in midsummer. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Headscarf and skirt, or long trousers - [ ] Shoes for a dirt road - [ ] Cash in lari for the taxi, candles and donations - [ ] Taxi fare agreed in advance - [ ] A bottle for spring water - [ ] Not arriving mid-liturgy on Sunday morning — or ready to stand quietly ## Green Monastery vs Timotesubani vs Rabati | | Green Monastery | Timotesubani | Rabati Castle | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Forest monastery of St George | Monastery with the Church of the Dormition | Fortress complex in Akhaltsikhe | | Main church | 9th–10th century | Turn of the 12th–13th century | Mosque and church inside the walls | | Best for | Silence, forest, an early basilica | Medieval frescoes | Scale and walls | | Entry | Free | Free | 20 GEL for foreigners | | Time on site | ≈ 45 min | ≈ 45 min | 1.5–2 h | Pick the monasteries for age and quiet, Rabati for spectacle. The Green Monastery is the closest to Borjomi and sits right on the road to [Rabati](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/rabati-castle) in Akhaltsikhe, so they pair well. ## Churches and monasteries around Borjomi Every place of worship around Borjomi rated by YesGo. - [Green Monastery (Mtsvane)](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/green-monastery) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free; donations welcome - [Timotesubani Monastery](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/timotesubani-monastery) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free; donations welcome - [Rabati Castle](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/rabati-castle) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · 20 GEL for foreign visitors ## The Green Monastery and Borjomi in a day The monastery first thing, before anyone else arrives; Likani Palace on the way back; then the park and the warm sulphur pools after lunch. 1. [Green Monastery (Mtsvane)](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/green-monastery) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free; donations welcome 2. [Likani Palace (Romanov Palace)](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/likani-palace) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, outside view only 3. [Borjomi Central Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-central-park) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ 5 GEL (unofficial) 4. [Borjomi Sulphur Baths](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-sulphur-baths) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 5–10 GEL plus park entry > **Go early** In the morning the gorge is cool and still, the light is soft, and on a weekday you may have the church to yourself. It is noticeably cooler here than in town, so bring a layer. ## Good to know Other monasteries in Georgia and beyond are also nicknamed “green”, but around Borjomi there is only one: Mtsvane near Chitakhevi. Search maps for “Mtsvane Monastery” or “Green Monastery”. ## Tips - Heading to Akhaltsikhe? Rabati Castle is on the same road — stop here on the way. - Ask your taxi to wait: picking up a ride at the turn-off on the main road is hit and miss. - Bring an empty bottle for the springs; there is nowhere to buy one on site. - Arriving by transfer from Kutaisi or Tbilisi? Ask the driver to detour here. - The church photographs best in the morning, before the sun climbs over the gorge. - Come back to town via [Likani Palace](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/likani-palace) — it is on the way. ## Questions ### How do I get to the Green Monastery from Borjomi? Taxi is easiest — about 20 minutes. Or take a marshrutka towards Akhaltsikhe to the Chitakhevi turn-off and walk the dirt road up the gorge. ### Where is the Green Monastery? Near Chitakhevi village, 9–12 km southwest of Borjomi on the Akhaltsikhe road, in a wooded gorge of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park. ### Is there an entrance fee? No, entry is free. Candles and donations are optional and paid in cash. ### What are the Green Monastery opening hours? There are no official hours. Visit in daylight; access is limited during the liturgy, usually on Sunday mornings. ### Is there a dress code? Yes. Cover shoulders and knees; women should wear a headscarf and skirt, men long trousers. Wraps are usually available, but bring your own. ### Is the Green Monastery worth visiting? Yes, if you have more than a day in Borjomi and like quiet, ancient places. With only half a day, stay in Central Park. ### Why is it called the Green Monastery? Because of the greenish stone of its walls and the forest around it. Mtsvane means “green” in Georgian. ### What is the legend of the red stones? Monks were killed here by Shah Tahmasp I’s troops in the 16th century, and legend says their blood stained the stones in the stream red. ### How long do you need at the Green Monastery? About 45 minutes on site and 1.5–2 hours in total from Borjomi and back. ## How we checked The monastery has no official website, timetable or rules page, so hours, entry, dress code, transport and payment are marked “checking”; free entry and limited access during the liturgy come from Georgian Holidays. Sources disagree: the distance from Borjomi is given as 9, 10, 11 or 12 km (we show 9–12); the direction as southwest (Wikipedia and the coordinates) or southeast (Advantour) — southwest is right, on the Akhaltsikhe road west of town; the bell tower as 14th, 15th–16th or 16th–17th century; the monks’ return as 2002 or 2003; the paintings as medieval fragments (Wikipedia, Georgian Holidays) or none at all (Advantour). No source gives the length of the dirt road from the main road; about 2 km is unofficial. Figures such as “300 monks killed” and “seven springs” appear in only one or two guides with no documentary source, so we don’t state them as fact. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Mtsvane Monastery; Wikidata Q16373030 - Georgian National Tourism Administration (georgia.travel): Mtsvane (Green) Monastery - Georgian Holidays: Green Monastery — distance, entry, visitor rules - Advantour: Mtsvane Monastery (Green Monastery) - Eurasia Travel: Mtsvane Monastery (Green Monastery) - Tonkosti: Green Monastery in Borjomi - GoTrip: What to see in Borjomi --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.