Exploring the mountains of Georgia: the capital city Tbilisi and the Kazbegi region.
Exploring the mountains of Georgia: the capital city Tbilisi and the Kazbegi region.
Georgia. US state or the country? The latter. It is a small country in Caucasus mountains on the coast of the Black Sea next to Armenia, Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan. The former USSR republic, it is one of the hidden gems of the region with rich history, amazing culture, and delicious cuisine. Now it’s opened for travelers and easily accessible from major European destinations.
Georgians trace their history back to XI-XII centuries. Unfortunately, throughout the years their territory was occupied by pretty much every regional power: Mongols, Persians, Ottomans, Russians and Soviets. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia has declared its independence and finally became a sovereign state. Needless to say that during its history Georgians maintained their own identity and traditions. Now you can experience it all together.
I did not have a lot of time, so I have decided to:Fly into Georgia’s capital Tbilisi and stay there for several daysTravel out to mountainous region Kazbegi to explore the countrysideReturn to Tbilisi and fly out from there
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the largest city in Georgia and its capital. It is located almost in the middle of Caucasus mountains, a half way between the Black and Caspian Seas. The city is shaped as an amphitheater surrounded by mountains on three sides with Kura river dividing it in two halves. Tbilisi International Airport has nonstop flights from several European destinations. It is about 20–30 minutes taxi ride into the city. There’s no Uber in Tbilisi, so prepare to negotiate the prices with taxi drivers. Most drivers don’t speak English, so I’d recommend asking your hotel front desk or restaurant waiter to call it for you and confirm the total price. The public transit does exist but I haven’t tried it much.
Where to stay? I would highly recommend Rooms Hotel Tbilisi. It is a part of Design Hotels / Starwood chain, so you will be able to use or earn points, but the main reason is their service and quality. Honestly, I was blown away by how well the hotel is run, how attentive and professional staff is. The decor and design were amazing. The food and drinks at their restaurants and courtyard bar were top notch as well. Everybody spoke English. The hotel is located in the central part of the city and allows to walk to most of the places or be a short taxi ride away. It was probably one of the best hotel experiences I’ve ever had.
Tbilisi’s Old Town is the most obvious and interesting place to start exploring the city. It is mostly built on the side of the mountain, so you can just walk around it for hours and get lost in the small tree lined streets and century old buildings. Stop by for a coffee or a beer at the local bar.
At some point start to walk up the hill and you will eventually end up at the funicular, which leads to Mtsaminda Park on top of the mountain — the highest point in the city. There’s a very popular restaurant there, which used to be state run during the Soviet times, but now it’s owned by one of the Georgian families and serves one of the best Georgian dishes. A small tip: try to make your way to the restaurant 40 minutes prior to the sunset and ask for a front row table. You will be dining with entire city panorama view, and by the dessert time you will be enjoying the Tbilisi city lights.
Start your next day walking towards Rustaveli Avenue and Liberty Square and walk across the Tbilisi Peace Bridge. From there you can check out the Concert Hall designed by the famous architect Massimiliano Fuksas, which looks like two gigantic shiny cylinders. Across Georgia you will see some interesting modern buildings especially for some of the government services: courthouses, police headquarters, parliaments, etc. There is a big support from the current government to push the boundaries and create something unique. You can argue if it is the most efficient usage of taxpayers’ money or not, but at least it is something creative and beautiful.
Next you can walk to the cable car, which takes you to Narikala Fortress on top of the hill. The fortress was built under Persian Empire and was partially destroyed by an explosion in the middle of the last century. You hike around most of it, but be careful as it is very steep. Instead of going back to the cable car, you can either take a zipline to the Botanical Garden on another side of the hill or walk down the hill path. It will eventually take you back to Metekhi Bridge. From there you can walk over to Jumah Mosque — one of the rarest places in the world where Sunni and Shia muslims pray side by side. Islam is a minority religion in Georgia (less than 10% of population), while overall majority are Orthodox Christians.
Across from the mosque you will find Sulfur baths. It is a Tbilisi’s landmark and something I have always wanted to try. Sulfur has healing powers and helps with skin problems, arthritic joints, digestion, insomnia, as well as has overall relaxing effect. These baths existed for centuries and were mentioned by a lot of travelers. There is no need for a bathing suit or any specific items. You will reserve a private room with a small pool (see the picture above) and a cold shower. Every 5 minutes you need to come out from the bath and cool down in the shower because sulfur smell is quite strong and vapors can make you nauseous or even lose consciousness. After bathing you can get a soapy scrub down (they will call it a “massage”). Finish it with a complimentary cardamom tea.
Georgian cuisine has a lot to offer, but you should absolutely try khachapuri and khinkali. Khachapuri is a pastry with cheese, kinda similar to cheese pizza but without any tomato sauce. Every region has its own type. One of the most popular style is Adjari, and it comes in a shape of a boat and sunny side egg (or two) on top. You can have khachapuri as a snack or as an appetizer. Khinkali are Georgian dumplings, somewhat similar to dim sum. It usually comes with the meat. Originally it was a food of mountain shepherds, but overtime it spread out across Georgia and became their national dish. Another interesting thing to try is Churchkhela, a traditional candy made out of nuts dipped in grape juice and dried in shape of the sausage. You can get it as a part of charcuterie board with different types of cheese and meats or just a street snack.
Kazbegi
Kazbegi is a region in the northern part of Georgia close to the border with Russia and home to one of the highest peaks in Caucasus mountains — Mount Kazbek. It is about 3 hours drive from Tbilisi and you can take a day tour there or stay overnight in Rooms Hotel Kazbegi there.
You will travel north from Tbilisi and take Georgian Military Road. It was originally built by Russian Empire across the mountains to connect Russia with Georgia and provide regular supplies to garnisons there. The road goes through various small villages and towns as well as numerous monasteries and churches, which were used by the locals to hide away from hostile attacks.
Gergeti Triniti Church is one the main attractions in Kazbegi and one of the national symbols of Georgia. It is built on the top of steep mountain next to Mount Kazbek. I’ve seen incredibly beautiful photos of the church and surrounding area but unfortunately it was super foggy during my visit. Did you ever see the faces of tourists coming to see Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and it’s fully covered in fog? Well, it was me in Kazbegi: travel around the world to get stuck in a fog and unable to see 10 steps in front of me. Slightly disappointed I was coming back to Tbilisi.
In a Nutshell
- Not a lot of people know that Caucasus Mountains are the highest in Europe (Alps and Norway comes next), but due to it’s history, it’s not overcrowded and relatively cheap to visit.
- Georgia specifically provides a great balance of price/value. Tourism is one of their main industries, and they are working to improve it more and more.
- You can do 3 types of vacation all within one country: city/urban in Tbilisi, mountains in Kazbegi and beach in Batumi. I didn’t have enough time to go to Batumi, but I’d love to do it next time.
- Georgia’s got a very special place in my heart, and I hope you will love it too.
