A find for tourists is a tour to Svaneti in May or August. The location of the village and how to get there.
Do you imagine a vacation at an altitude of 5 thousand meters above sea level? This is possible in Georgia! Hospitable Svaneti and Mestia for tourists is the center of alpine tourism. Despite its remote location, the village lures travelers to its mountain lakes, harsh glaciers and green valleys!
Travel to Svaneti and Mestia⬇️
The beautiful and picturesque village of Svaneti is a place located at an altitude of 5 thousand meters above sea level, the very place where the sky meets the earth.
The locality occupies only a small part on the map of Georgia, but there are much more tourists here than in other cities.
Location of the village
A settlement with a permanent population of 25 thousand people is picturesque Svaneti. However, the location leaves much to be desired. After all, the village is located in a remote mountainous area of Georgia. Surrounded everywhere by mountain ranges, Svaneti has retained its original appearance. After all, civilization has bypassed it. A few words about the borders of the region.
- In the north and east is the Caucasian Ridge, where the border with Russia runs.
- In the south is the Svan ridge.
- In the west is the Kodori Gorge, where the border with Abkhazia passes, with which Georgia has a political conflict.
To relax in Svaneti, you first need to get to it. This can be done by different modes of transport.
Ways to get to Svaneti
There is one direct road from Zugdidi, through the valley of the Inguri River.
There are other ways. From Kutaisi, past Tsageri and left by car. You will need a detailed map when traveling. Google can lead to a road with not the best coverage. Of course, the area is actively being developed, so innovations may not be registered.
You can also fly to Svaneti from the capital or Kutaisi. The flight schedule is constantly changing and is disrupted due to bad weather. Tickets can be bought online, 15 people are allowed on board.
The minibus goes from Tbilisi, Zugdidi, Kutaisi. Such a journey takes at least 10 hours, but this time can be spent usefully by looking at amazing landscapes that you have never seen.
By train you can get from the capital to Zugdidi, then transfer to any convenient mode of transport.
Whichever way you choose, on the way you can taste all the charm of the centuries-old history of this country.
Historical information
The village of Svaneti has a rich history. In the first century, Roman legionaries considered the Svans to be magnificent conquerors who knew no fear in numerous battles.
The settlement was never conquered, even by Batu Khan, who passed by.
At first, the territory was part of Colchis. The rulers changed, came from other countries. The Russian Empire conquered this region in 1835, but the peoples of Svaneti were against the established tsarist regime. The Svans were finally released from custody at the beginning of the twentieth century. However, then they came under Soviet rule in 1924. Thanks to this, the region has received a significant leap in development.
The collapse of the USSR in the 1990s led to worse times. Nevertheless, the renaissance of Svaneti is taking place now, and civilization is reaching this wonderful village with quiet steps.
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Interesting places of Svaneti
The famous Svaneti ridge divides the territory of the settlement into two parts: Upper and Lower. Usually travelers arrive first. After all, there you can find historical architectural structures and get acquainted with the cultural component.
The central part of Svaneti is Mestia. A small-scale settlement located high in the mountains. It is inhabited by two and a half thousand people. It is here that a huge number of Russian tourists come.
At the same time, the locals are mostly old people who speak the Svan dialect. The middle generation speaks Georgian and Russian, and the young people in this village know English.
The locality is famous for its hospitality. When traveling on vacation here, you can choose the following accommodation options:
- Guest house.
- Hotel family complex.
- A modern hotel.
A vacation in Mestia still has pieces of modern civilization. You can have lunch in a cafe, watch an LCD TV, use an ATM and catch Wi-Fi.
You can find out more about the locality in the information center. Here you will be told about the options for living, the location of local attractions, and will be advised how to get to the desired point.
Ushguli is a village that is recommended for visiting by residents of Svaneti.
The location of this village is the foot of Shakhra (the highest point in the country). About 2 thousand people live here. At the same time, you can only get to Ushguli on your own, since no transport goes there.
From the mountain settlement through the passage of the Sun you can get to Lentekhi. Along the way, you can take a large number of photos of lower Svaneti, with the surrounding picturesque views.
Ushguli has the following attractions:
- Museum of Local Lore.
- Towers erected for Queen Tamara.
- Lamaria Temple.
It is in this locality that medieval fortresses and towers are still preserved.
The lower part of Svaneti is a gorge, separated from the upper part of the region by the Svan ridge. The main settlement is Lentekhi, which has a population of about two thousand people. There are much fewer interesting tourist sites in this area. However, the natural views are breathtaking, they are considered a real pearl.
You will not find such beautiful landscapes and medieval buildings in any other country in the world.
Main sights of Svaneti
All the main monuments, monuments, architectural structures of antiquity are located in Upper Svaneti. Despite the small area, the region stands out with interesting objects.
The main, most impressive area in the lower district is a mountainous natural area. Its non-renewable beauty touches and is distinguished by incredible landscapes. Alpine meadows, flat terrain, slopes in snow, river channels and waterfalls – an abundance of colors pleases every tourist. Roadways in the mountains pass through tunnels cut through the rocks. Travelers seem to get into the kingdom of the mountain king from the opera Peer Gynt.
A huge structure with a height of 270 m, the Ingur hydroelectric power station, is located on the border with Abkhazia. Tourists are allowed to enter it.
Svan Towers
The famous Svan Towers are not particularly large buildings erected by residents near populated areas. In turbulent times, citizens took refuge here from the raids of the conquerors. Fortified structures made it possible to wait out the danger for several months. The towers were connected to the houses by underground passages.
Most of the buildings were created in the east, in Latali and in the west, in Ushguli. Historians believe that the most intensive construction of the towers occurred during the reign of Queen Tamara. In the history of Svaneti, this time period is called the "Golden Age".
Military installations perfectly helped people to hide during internecine actions or blood feuds. Indigenous people sometimes conduct sightseeing programs for tourists, telling in detail about the construction of buildings.
Cable car
Not far from the central villages of Svaneti there are ski resorts: Tetnuldi, Hatsvali, equipped with funiculars. A tourist can get there by private car or hitchhiking. There is an opportunity to visit this area on foot. The cable car operates all year round. Summer is the best time to travel, due to the picturesque views surrounding the traveler from all sides. You can take a large number of photos, shoot video material. The beauty of such landscapes is difficult to convey in words, it is worth seeing with your own eyes at least once.
Nature of Svaneti
The seasons in Svaneti, unlike the usual seasonal division, are calculated a little differently. Spring begins in May. The summer season is very short and lasts only one month – August. The rest of the time is cloudy weather with constant precipitation. And in winter, heavy snowfalls and piercing cold.
Previously, the area became inaccessible during the winter. After all, the falling snow blocked the highways and roadways. So much so that it was impossible to get to Svaneti from the neighboring village, not to mention larger cities and countries.
It is important to know that a snowstorm can last a maximum of 3 days. At this time it is better to sit in the hotel.
As a result, the best time to relax in Svaneti is the summer season. Numerous travelers are attracted by: mountain lakes, harsh glaciers, gorges, valleys, passes, mountain ranges.
It is recommended to take a tour to Svaneti in May or August. It is during these months that you can admire the wild, untouched nature.
Recreation in this village is most popular among athletes, extreme athletes, fans of Svan culture.
A small settlement is known all over the world. He is admired not only by the residents of Georgia. It's safe to say that this is the place to visit.
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