Tsalka Municipality
Tsalka in Kvemo Kartli: Dashbashi Canyon glass bridge, Tsalka Reservoir, Trialeti gold kurgans and Pontic Greek villages. History.
Tsalka Municipality — overview
MunicipalityHistory
Tsalka Municipality lies in the north-west of the Kvemo Kartli region, on the high Tsalka Plateau in the historic land of Trialeti, with the town of Tsalka as its administrative centre, about 60 km south-west of Tbilisi. The municipality covers about 1,050 km². The plateau, at roughly 1,500–1,700 m, is part of the volcanic uplands of southern Georgia, with the large Tsalka Reservoir at its centre. The Khrami River, known as the Ktsia in its upper course, rises in the Trialeti Range and feeds the reservoir. Tsalka borders Dmanisi to the south and Tetritskaro to the east.
The plateau is one of the key archaeological landscapes of the Caucasus. The Trialeti culture, which flourished from the late 3rd to the early 2nd millennium BC, left monumental burial mounds (kurgans) along the Khrami; some have ceremonial processional paths over 100 m long. Excavations in 1936–1940 and later revealed rich gold and silver objects — the famous Trialeti treasures, now kept in the Georgian National Museum. The Dashbashi area also preserves the Church of St George (10th–11th centuries).
Tsalka has a distinctive modern history. After the Russo-Turkish war of 1828–1829, Pontic Greeks from the Gümüşhane and Erzurum regions — many of them Turkish-speaking Urums — settled on the plateau, and until about 1990 they formed the majority of the population. After many emigrated, Georgian families displaced by landslides in other regions were resettled here in 1997–2006. In the Soviet period the Khrami River was dammed for hydropower: the first Khrami hydroelectric station began operating in 1947.
Today Tsalka is best known for the spectacular Dashbashi Canyon, where the Khrami has carved a deep gorge with waterfalls. A 240 m glass bridge across the canyon opened in 2022 as part of a large tourism project, drawing visitors from across Georgia. The open plateau and the shores of the reservoir are also popular for fishing and summer trips.
For travellers, Tsalka makes a great day or weekend trip from Tbilisi: walk the Dashbashi Canyon trails and cross the glass bridge, see the waterfall and old church, and explore the Greek villages and wide landscapes of the Tsalka Plateau. Combine it with Manglisi or Dmanisi for a longer route through southern Georgia.
FAQ
1) Where is Tsalka Municipality located?
In the north-west of Kvemo Kartli, on the Tsalka Plateau in the historic land of Trialeti.
2) What is the administrative centre?
The town of Tsalka, about 60 km south-west of Tbilisi.
3) How high is the Tsalka Plateau?
About 1,500–1,700 m above sea level.
4) What is the Tsalka Reservoir?
A large reservoir at the centre of the plateau, fed by the Khrami (Ktsia) River.
5) What is the Trialeti culture?
A Bronze Age culture of the late 3rd–early 2nd millennium BC, known for rich kurgans with gold objects.
6) Where are the Trialeti treasures kept?
In the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi.
7) When did Greeks settle in Tsalka?
After the Russo-Turkish war of 1828–1829.
8) What is the Dashbashi glass bridge?
A 240 m glass bridge across the Dashbashi Canyon, opened in 2022.
9) What else is in Dashbashi?
The canyon’s waterfall and the Church of St George (10th–11th centuries).
10) Where can I find official municipal information?
On the municipality’s official website, tsalka.gov.ge.