Sighnaghi is the most photogenic town in Kakheti, a hilltop settlement perched on the Gombori ridge above the Alazani Valley. The town was heavily restored in the 2000s under President Saakashvili — balconies repainted, cobblestones relaid, the 18th-century fortress wall reinforced — and the result is somewhere between a genuine old town and a very convincing stage set. It works, regardless of how you feel about the politics behind it.
The fortress wall, nearly 4 kilometres long, still rings the town with towers at intervals and gives views over a sweep of valley backed by the Caucasus. Inside the walls is a small museum with Kakhetian antiquities and a celebrated collection of work by the Georgian primitive painter Niko Pirosmani. The wine bars and guesthouses in the town centre are among the better options in the region for an overnight stay.