Georgia sits at the precise point where Europe ends and Asia begins, where the Black Sea coast meets the Greater Caucasus mountains, where the oldest continuous wine culture in the world meets one of the oldest Christian kingdoms. A country the size of Ireland containing the highest inhabited communities in Europe, the most dramatic mountain roads on the continent, 24 documented destinations and a capital city that has been rebuilt by eleven different empires and destroyed by each of them in turn.
- The five clusters
- I. The Mountain Roads — the Georgian Military Highway and beyond
- II. Tusheti — Europe’s Most Remote Mountain Territory
- III. The Ancient Cities and Sacred Sites
- IV. The Mountain Communities — Svaneti
- V. The Black Sea Coast and Western Georgia
- How to reach Georgia
- The complete Georgia collection
- The four Field Guides
- Also in the Beyond the Map Regional Series
Georgia is not a standard travel destination. The extraordinary natural landscape — the Greater Caucasus to the north, the Lesser Caucasus to the south, the Black Sea coast to the west, the Alazani River wine valley to the east — contains within a single small country more geographical variety than most continental European regions contain in ten times the territory. The Wanders covers Georgia as five editorial clusters, each with its own character, its own practical approach and its own Field Guide.
The five clusters
I. The Mountain Roads — the Georgian Military Highway and beyond
Darial Gorge: Where Civilisations Crossed →
The most historically extraordinary single point on the Georgian Military Highway — the narrow canyon where the Terek River cuts through the Caucasus range at the Georgian-Russian border, the only practical land crossing of the Greater Caucasus for 200km in either direction. Pompey crossed it in 65 BC. Tamerlane in 1386. The Russian Imperial Army repeatedly in the 19th century. Pushkin in 1829. Tolstoy in 1851. The extraordinary limestone walls rising 1,000 metres above the river, the extraordinary Dariali Monastery on the cliff face and the extraordinary ruins of the Queen Tamar fortress above the gorge make the Darial the most historically layered single geographical feature in the Caucasus.
The Friendship Arch: Georgia’s Most Ironic Soviet Monument →
The extraordinary Georgian-Soviet Friendship Monument on the Georgian Military Highway — a circular colonnade arch of Soviet-era construction celebrating Georgian-Russian friendship, positioned on the most dramatic viewpoint of the Military Highway above the extraordinary Jvari Pass, with extraordinary panoramic views across the Greater Caucasus in both directions. Built in 1983. Georgia fought a war with Russia in 2008. The monument remains. The most editorially ironic Soviet structure in the Caucasus.
Stepantsminda: The Town the Georgians Call Kazbegi →
The most visited mountain town in Georgia — at 1,750 metres in the Terek River valley below the extraordinary Gergeti Trinity Church, with the 5,047-metre peak of Mount Kazbek above. The official name is Stepantsminda. Every Georgian calls it Kazbegi. The base for the most important trekking routes in the Georgian Caucasus and the most photographed landscape in the country.
Gergeti Trinity Church: The Church That Watches Over the Caucasus →
The 14th century Georgian Orthodox church perched on a rocky spur at 2,170 metres above Stepantsminda — with the extraordinary 5,047-metre peak of Mount Kazbek rising behind it in the most photographed single landscape in Georgia. The extraordinary 40-minute uphill walk from the town. The extraordinary interior frescoes. The extraordinary panoramic views across the Georgian Military Highway valley. The most iconic single image in Georgian travel and the most justifiably iconic — the combination of the medieval church, the alpine meadow and the extraordinary mountain backdrop is completely extraordinary.
Abano Pass: The Most Dangerous Road in the Caucasus →
The most extraordinary mountain road in Georgia — a 64km dirt road ascending from the Alazani valley to the Tusheti National Park at over 2,900 metres, crossing the Abano Pass in a series of extraordinary switchbacks above extraordinary drops. Open only June to October. The most adventurous single road journey available in Europe.
Gudauri: Where the Caucasus Opens Up on Skis →
Georgia’s most important ski resort — on the southern slopes of the Caucasus at 1,990-3,276 metres, on the Georgian Military Highway north of Tbilisi. Extraordinary off-piste terrain, extraordinary snow reliability, extraordinary value compared to Alpine resorts. The most commercially significant winter destination in Georgia and the fastest-growing ski resort in the Caucasus.
II. Tusheti — Europe’s Most Remote Mountain Territory
Tusheti is the most extraordinary and most remote mountain territory in Georgia — a high plateau community of extraordinary traditional character above the Abano Pass, accessible only by the extraordinary mountain road or by helicopter between June and October, closed entirely for eight months by snow. The most completely isolated inhabited territory in the Caucasus.
Omalo: The First Village Beyond the Abano Pass →
The gateway community of Tusheti — the first settlement after the extraordinary Abano crossing, its extraordinary traditional Tush tower architecture and extraordinary position above the Alazani valley giving it the most dramatic arrival experience of any Georgian mountain village.
Bochorna: The Highest Inhabited Village in Europe →
Bochorna stands at 2,345 metres — higher than Ushguli in Svaneti, higher than any permanently inhabited settlement in the Alps, the highest continuously inhabited community in Europe. Above Omalo in the Tusheti plateau, accessible only on foot from the main Tusheti road. The extraordinary stone houses, the extraordinary traditional character and the extraordinary isolation of a community that survives eight months of snow per year give Bochorna a quality of extraordinary human tenacity that no lower European mountain community can match.
III. The Ancient Cities and Sacred Sites
Uplistsikhe: The Iron Age Cave City Above the Georgian Plain →
An extraordinary cave city carved into the volcanic rock above the Mtkvari River — one of the oldest urban settlements in the Caucasus, inhabited from the early Iron Age until the 13th century, containing extraordinary carved halls, wine cellars, tunnels and the ruins of an early Christian basilica built on the foundations of a pagan temple. 3,000 carved rooms in a volcanic cliff above a river. The most extraordinary single archaeological site in Georgia.
Vardzia: Georgia’s Cave Monastery Carved Into the Mountain →
A cave monastery complex of 13 storeys carved into the Erusheti Mountain cliff face — built in the 12th century during the reign of Queen Tamar, containing extraordinary frescoes of extraordinary condition, 400 metres long, 8 storeys deep into the cliff. 6,000 people lived here at maximum extent. The most extraordinary cave monastery in the Caucasus.
Khertvisi: The Georgian Fortress at the Meeting of Two Rivers →
One of the most completely preserved medieval fortresses in Georgia — on a rocky promontory at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Paravani rivers, with origins in the 2nd century BC. The most dramatically positioned castle in southern Georgia and the most important military heritage site in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region.
Chronicle of Georgia: Sixteen Columns Above the Tbilisi Sea →
The most extraordinary single monument in Tbilisi — 16 concrete columns 35 metres tall rising from a hilltop above the Tbilisi reservoir, each carved with extraordinary relief figures of Georgian kings, queens, saints and warriors across the entire span of Georgian history. The most visually dramatic public monument in the Caucasus.
The most accessible national park from Tbilisi — extraordinary conifer forest, extraordinary canyon landscape and the extraordinary ruins of Manglisi Cathedral in the Algeti River valley. The nearest wild landscape to the Georgian capital and the most overlooked by international visitors who proceed directly to Kazbegi.
Christmas in Tbilisi: When Georgia Celebrates on 7 January →
The extraordinary Georgian Orthodox Christmas — celebrated on 7 January in the Julian calendar — when Tbilisi produces the most extraordinary urban Christmas experience in the Caucasus. The extraordinary Alilo procession, the extraordinary Christmas tree above the Mtkvari and the extraordinary winter character of the old town make January Tbilisi one of the most atmospheric Christmas destinations in Europe that almost no Western European visitor has considered.
Georgia: Ten Extraordinary Places Beyond Tbilisi →
The editorial overview of the complete Georgia discovery — ten destinations that the standard Tbilisi-Kazbegi-Mtskheta circuit consistently misses, each one representing a different dimension of the extraordinary Georgian landscape and cultural heritage.
IV. The Mountain Communities — Svaneti
Svaneti: The Complete Guide to Georgia’s Tower Villages →
The Svaneti regional guide — the complete editorial overview of the most extraordinary mountain territory in Georgia. Medieval tower villages, UNESCO World Heritage, the extraordinary polyphonic chanting tradition and the most complete traditional highland culture surviving in the Caucasus. The pillar article for all Svaneti spoke content below.
Ushguli: Nine Centuries of Tower Houses at 2,200 Metres →
A community of four extraordinary villages at 2,200 metres in Upper Svaneti — UNESCO World Heritage since 1994, its extraordinary medieval defensive towers rising from every inhabited house in the most complete tower village landscape in the Caucasus. Below the 5,201-metre peak of Shkhara — the highest mountain entirely within Georgia. The most extraordinary inhabited medieval landscape in Europe.
Mestia: Georgia’s Svaneti Capital →
The largest settlement in Svaneti at 1,500 metres — surrounded by medieval towers, the extraordinary Caucasus peaks and the extraordinary Mikheil Khergiani Museum dedicated to the legendary Georgian mountaineer. The base for all Svaneti trekking routes and the most complete tourist infrastructure in the Upper Svaneti territory.
Adishi: The Hidden Svaneti Village Below the Glacier →
One of the most extraordinary villages on the Svaneti trekking route — below the extraordinary Adishi Glacier, accessible only on foot from Mestia in a full day of extraordinary mountain walking. The most remote inhabited community on the main Mestia-Ushguli route and the most completely traditional in character.
Zhabeshi: The Svaneti Village on the Route to Ushguli →
The most important overnight stop on the Mestia-Ushguli multi-day trek — an extraordinary small village of traditional Svan character at the midpoint of the most popular long-distance walking route in Georgia, with extraordinary mountain views in both directions.
Tetnuldi: Skiing in the Heart of the Caucasus →
The most extraordinary ski resort in Georgia after Gudauri — on the slopes of the 4,858-metre Mount Tetnuldi above Mestia in Upper Svaneti, at 2,200-3,165 metres, with extraordinary off-piste terrain above and the extraordinary Svaneti tower village landscape visible from the ski runs below. The most dramatically positioned ski resort in the Caucasus.
V. The Black Sea Coast and Western Georgia
Batumi: Georgia’s Black Sea City That Can’t Stop Building →
The second city of Georgia — an extraordinary Black Sea resort on the subtropical Adjara coast, extraordinary for its extraordinary mix of Ottoman heritage, Soviet architecture and the extraordinary post-2004 construction boom that has given Batumi one of the most visually chaotic and most genuinely extraordinary urban skylines in the Caucasus. The extraordinary Batumi Boulevard, the extraordinary Piazza, the extraordinary botanical garden above the city and the extraordinary casino culture that has made Batumi the gambling capital of the Caucasus.
Martvili Canyon: The Georgian Gorge You Navigate by Boat →
The highest-performing Georgia article in The Wanders collection — 4,029 views — and the most immediately extraordinary natural experience in western Georgia. A narrow limestone gorge in the Samegrelo region carved by the Abasha River, navigated by wooden boat through extraordinary emerald-green water beneath extraordinary overhanging cliffs, with extraordinary waterfalls entering the gorge from above. The most extraordinary boat gorge experience in Georgia and the most consistently extraordinary natural spectacle in the western Caucasus.
Kakheti: The Wine Country That Invented the Grape →
The Kakheti regional guide — the complete editorial overview of the oldest wine-producing territory in the world. 8,000 years of continuous viticulture, the extraordinary qvevri clay vessel tradition inscribed on UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Alazani River valley and the most important wine tourism territory in the Caucasus. The pillar article for all Kakheti spoke content.
How to reach Georgia
By air: Tbilisi International Airport
Direct from Amsterdam · Istanbul · Warsaw
Vienna · Munich · Dubai · Tel Aviv · Paris
Multiple European carriers year-round
Within Georgia:
Marshrutka (shared minibus) — cheap · frequent
between major towns
Car hire recommended for Kakheti wine route
and mountain territories
Abano Pass and Tusheti: 4WD essential
Entry: Georgian e-visa: evisa.gov.ge
20 USD · 5-day processing
EU citizens: visa-free · passport required
Best seasons:
May-June Mountain roads open · wildflowers
Abano Pass opens · Svaneti accessible
September Wine harvest in Kakheti · extraordinary light
best single month in Georgia
July-Aug Peak season · all routes open · hot in Tbilisi
October Autumn colour in Kakheti · post-harvest
quieter than summer
Winter Gudauri and Tetnuldi ski season
Extraordinary Tbilisi Christmas (7 January)
Svaneti by helicopter only
The complete Georgia collection
| Destination | Cluster | Views | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martvili Canyon | Black Sea · West | 4,029 | Published |
| Abano Pass | Mountain Roads | 2,125 | Published |
| Ushguli | Svaneti | 1,995 | Published |
| Gergeti Trinity Church | Mountain Roads | 1,872 | Published |
| Uplistsikhe | Ancient Cities | 1,559 | Published |
| Chronicle of Georgia | Ancient Cities | 1,463 | Published |
| Stepantsminda | Mountain Roads | 1,456 | Published |
| Bochorna | Tusheti | 1,296 | Published |
| Omalo | Tusheti | 1,223 | Published |
| Khertvisi Fortress | Ancient Cities | 1,191 | Published |
| Mestia | Svaneti | 1,161 | Published |
| Vardzia | Ancient Cities | 1,039 | Published |
| Adishi Village | Svaneti | 1,027 | Published |
| Svaneti Guide | Svaneti | 791 | Published |
| Kakheti Guide | Black Sea · West | 610 | Published |
| Friendship Arch | Mountain Roads | 522 | Published |
| Christmas in Tbilisi | Ancient Cities | 518 | Published |
| Batumi | Black Sea · West | 471 | Published |
| Gudauri | Mountain Roads | 318 | Published |
| Tetnuldi | Svaneti | — | Published |
| Zhabeshi | Svaneti | 802 | Published |
| Darial Gorge | Mountain Roads | 421 | Published |
| Georgia Beyond Tbilisi | Overview | 902 | Published |
| Algeti National Park | Ancient Cities | — | Published |
24 published articles · five clusters · one extraordinary country
The four Field Guides
MOUNTAIN ROADS FIELD GUIDE → €12
Darial Gorge · Stepantsminda · Gergeti · Gudauri
Abano Pass · Tusheti logistics · Friendship Arch
The complete Georgian Military Highway guide
SVANETI FIELD GUIDE → €14
Mestia · Ushguli · Adishi · Zhabeshi · Bochorna
Tower village visits · Tetnuldi skiing
Mestia-Ushguli trekking route complete
ANCIENT CITIES FIELD GUIDE → €14
Uplistsikhe · Vardzia · Khertvisi
Chronicle of Georgia · Algeti · Tbilisi
The complete sacred and archaeological Georgia
WINE AND COAST FIELD GUIDE → €12
Kakheti complete · Martvili Canyon
Batumi · the qvevri wine tradition
The Black Sea coast and western Georgia
Complete Georgia Bundle — €40 All four Field Guides. The complete editorial reference for Georgia. Save €12 on individual pricing.
Also in the Beyond the Map Regional Series
Transylvania: The Region That Dracula Overshadowed → The Albanian Riviera: Europe’s Last Undiscovered Mediterranean Coast → Masuria: Poland’s Lake District Beyond the Tourist Map → Latgale: The Latvian Region That Rothko Left Behind →
Georgia is part of The Wanders Beyond the Map Regional Series — extraordinary territories documented beyond the standard travel itinerary.
