The most picturesque places worth seeing in Georgia. Nature conservation areas of Kintrishi and Mtiral.

These territories consist of two parts - the Kintrish Nature Reserve and the Mtiralsky National Park. The Kintrish Nature Reserve was founded in 1959, and the Mtiralsky National Park almost half a century later - in 2006.

The protected areas are located on slopes perpendicular to the air masses from the Black Sea. Here, in the vicinity of Mount Mtirala, precipitation falls more than 4 thousand mm., which is a huge indicator not only for the Caucasus, but also for Europe. The proximity of the Black Sea and a large amount of precipitation cause the presence of humid subtropical air and majestic Colchian forests.

The mountainous relief of the protected areas contains several hypsometric steps with significant height differences. This determines the vertical zoning of the landscape and, accordingly, the natural diversity of these territories.

Protected areas are known for an extraordinary variety of Colchian plants. Hornbeam, chestnut, beech forests occupy a large area here. Among the relict plants should be noted: Pontic oak (Quercus pontica), Medvedev birch (Betula medwediewii), Rhododendron Ungern (Rhodedendron ungemii), yew, Pontic needle (Ruscus ponticus), Caucasian persimmon (Diospyros lotus), chestnut (Castanea sativa), etc. In the forests, undergrowth is extremely common, dominated by lianas of various types, Caucasian boxwood, holly and laurel.

The fauna of protected areas is rich in birds, mammals, fish and reptiles, etc. Of the predators there are: bear, wolf, lynx, fox, great spotted eagle, hawk, sparrowhawk, owl, owl, owl, etc. Nature conservation areas are located near large centers of marine and balneological tourism. The region is rich in historical and archaeological monuments. Among them are the ancient fortress of Gonio (Apsarunti) and ancient settlements, several medieval churches, mosques and fortresses.