Tickets
Hotels
Tours
Insurance
Trains
AbkhaziaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
The castle or fortress of Bagrat or Akua Castle was supposedly built in the 10th-11th centuries. Its purpose is to protect the approaches to the city from the south, as well as control the port at the mouth of the Basla River (Besletka). Today, only the ruins of the walls and the underground passage leading to the stream remain from the castle, and there doesn't seem to be much to see. But it offers the best view of the bay and Sukhum. The walking route to the sights is also not bad and will definitely appeal to lovers of walking. So if you are going to relax in Sukhum and want to see something interesting and historical, be sure to visit the fortress.
History of the fortress
It is believed that the ruins of this fortress were once the residence of one of the kings of Abkhazia at the turn of the X or XI centuries - Bagrat III or Bagrat IV. Its original name is Akua, that's what Sukhum was called in ancient times.
The fortress eventually lost its military-strategic importance and gradually fell into disrepair. For centuries, the place was forgotten by the locals. In the XX century, archaeological excavations were carried out on the territory. During the study, scientists found clay jugs, iron knives, wine amphorae, Byzantine coins of the XII century, fragments of glass jewelry, animal bones, nails and other valuable archaeological finds. All of them testify to the power of the Abkhazian kingdom in the past, as well as the wide spread of viticulture in the region in ancient times.
🕐 Working hours
Around the clock.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
The ruins of Bagrat's castle are located on a hill on the outskirts of the city (Bagrat's Castle on the map). You can get there on foot or take buses No. 2, 5, trolleybus No. 2 to the stop on Akirtava Street, and then on foot. The fortress is also visited during group excursions.
If you decide to get here by car, then keep in mind that there is not enough parking space here, besides, some navigators show the wrong way. You need to drive along Mount Bagrat Street to the end, until you run into the gate at the end of the street near a private house with a red roof. Sometimes these gates are open and you can drive on almost to the ruins along a dirt road. Some navigators offer a shorter route, for this you need to make a stop earlier on this street at the house with the number 28, and go or walk to the left into a dead-end passage. But when we were there, passage and passage along this route was impossible, everything was blocked by private territory.
💥 We remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at online booking options on these proven search and price comparison sites: