Artvin (Livane) Castle

Artvin (Livane) Castle stands on a rocky spur above the steep banks of the Çoruh River and is one of the oldest and most emblematic structures of the city. The core of the fortress was built in 937 CE by the Georgian Bagratid king Ashot the Great; the name 'Livane', still used by locals today, derives from Livana, the medieval name of this region. After the area passed under Ottoman rule in the mid-16th century (1551), the castle was repaired and enlarged, and it received further repairs in the following centuries. As a result the building carries a layered history, gathering the traces of the Georgian-Bagratid, Ottoman and local periods on a single mass of bedrock. Rising roughly 70 metres above the riverbed and anchored to the natural rock, it was a small but strategic stronghold that controlled both the entrance to Artvin and traffic along the Çoruh.

Architecture and Restoration

Architecturally, the castle is notable for its high walls that follow the contours of the sheer rock and for a multi-storey tower that has survived in fairly good condition. Inside are a cistern, fragments of kvevri (large earthenware wine vessels) and, on the eastern side, the remains of a four-cornered structure believed to have been a church or chapel. Restored in 2004 and illuminated in 2012, the castle was opened to visitors after long being enclosed within a military zone; today its floodlit silhouette at night is one of the most recognisable images of the Çoruh Valley. This historical and cultural depth makes the site not merely a viewpoint but an open-air lesson in the region's Georgian-Ottoman past.

Visit Duration and Photo Spots

Agencies frequently open their Artvin city tours here because the clifftop position offers a panorama that takes in the Çoruh Valley, the direction of the Deriner Dam and the hillside city in a single sweep, letting groups grasp the region's geography at the very first stop. As the castle is small, the average visit lasts 30-45 minutes and it is usually programmed as a short photo-and-orientation break before continuing up to the Zeytinlik quarter and the Kafkasör Plateau. The best photo spots are the angle looking up at the castle from around the Artvin Bridge and the sweeping view over the Çoruh Valley from beside the tower; the silhouette is especially striking at sunset and in the evening when the lighting is switched on. Complementary nearby stops include the historic timber houses of Zeytinlik, the Kafkasör Plateau, the Deriner Dam viewpoint, the Berta stone bridge and Hatila Valley National Park.

Access and Best Time to Visit

In terms of access, the castle lies about 2 km from the city centre at the Çayağzı/Köprübaşı locality where the Erzurum-Artvin highway enters town, easily reached by municipal minibus or private car. Parking is limited; because the access road is narrow and steep, large tour coaches usually stop along the highway below or in the area near the bridge, with visitors covering the final stretch on foot or by small vehicles. Owing to the steep and uneven path, disabled access is limited and the upper section is not suitable for wheelchair users, though panoramic viewing from below is possible. The best time to visit is from late spring to autumn (May-October), when roads are open and the air is clear. Peak season falls in June-July, during the Kafkasör bull-fighting festival, and in September-October, when autumn colours draw crowds. In winter snow and ice can make the steep climb difficult. The recommended route is to begin the morning at the castle, continue through Zeytinlik's timber mansions and the Kafkasör Plateau, and in the afternoon link toward Borçka via the Deriner Dam and the Berta Bridge.