Dadiani Palace

About this place

Dadiani Palace is a complex of princely residences in Zugdidi in western Georgia, regarded as one of the most eminent in the Caucasus and now a museum. Its neo-Gothic main building looks as if it came from Europe to a broad park. Many travellers stop on their way to Svaneti, and it is the best reason to spend an hour or two in town. It was the seat of the Dadiani family, rulers of Mingrelia, built in the 17th century and renovated in the 19th. Its present form is credited to the English architect Edwin Race, combining Gothic, Georgian, Russian, Islamic and Tudor elements. It became a museum on 1 May 1921. The family was tied to the Napoleons through the marriage of Salome Dadiani to Prince Achille Murat. You see a pale stone facade with small towers and decorated balconies, before a broad lawn, clipped trees and a pool. Inside are the Tagiloni treasure, the icon of Queen Bordokhan, manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries and items linked to Napoleon, including his death mask according to one tourist source. The Blachernae church and Zugdidi Botanical Garden lie alongside. It stands in central Zugdidi, a walk from the main street. It usually closes on Mondays, and sources give hours from 10:00 to 17:30 or 18:00, so check before you go. Allow two hours for the palace and garden. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to nearby Abkhazia, so stay away from the administrative line and check official guidance.