The road from Telavi toward the mountains passes two monasteries known collectively as Shuamta — Old Shuamta and New Shuamta — set in dense forest about 10 kilometres from the town. Old Shuamta, the higher of the two, is a group of three early Christian basilicas from the 5th through 7th centuries, their stone walls patched and weathered but still standing in a forest clearing that feels completely undisturbed by tourism.
New Shuamta, a kilometre below, was built in the 16th century at the command of Queen Tamar of Kakheti, who is buried here. It is an active convent with a small community of nuns, and the grounds are immaculate. The combination of two very different periods of Georgian church architecture within a short walk of each other, in a forested setting, makes this one of the more rewarding stops near Telavi.