Gora-Berezhouli Dendrological Park

Gora-Berezhouli Dendrological Park’s History

During Soviet times, this village was better known as an agricultural school, where young people from different parts of Georgia obtained an agricultural education.

However, the area surrounding the school was historically the residence of Gurian nobility who even had their own palace.

Again under Soviet rule, the dendrological park was established on the territory of the Eristavi estate, where perennial trees were already standing. 

What Does the Dendrological Park Offer? 

In this forest, you can still see a three-centuries-old oak tree, as well as cade, a giant sequoia, an oriental raisin tree, a ginkgo-biloba, a camphor tree, camellias, and conifers that were planted a little later, all creating a spectacular environment.

In 1840, in Gora-Berezhouli, in the estate of Mikheil Eristavi, for the first time in Georgia, a product akin to tea was prepared in a primitive manner, and later presented at an agricultural exhibition in Saint Petersburg in 1864 where it won recognition.

Here, there stands the Eristavi family palace and a fortress, surrounded by four walls, each 25 meters long and five meters tall. Moreover, there are embrasures on the wall, which is a sign that the fortress was built for defense purposes. Moreover, the chimney was built in such a way that the smoke rising from it could not be seen by the enemy.

According to legend, in the 17th-18th centuries, the walls were built using cobblestones taken from the floodplain of the Supsa River. In one corner of the fortress, there is an open cellar with a wine press. Meanwhile,  in the palace, some family and household items of the nobility have been preserved, to be presented as exhibits once the palace’s restoration is completed.

Eristavi Palace and Gora-Berezhouli Dendrological Park are among the standout tourist destinations of Guria.