Cross Pass (Jvari Pass) is the highest point of the Georgian Military Highway, at an elevation of 2,395 metres above sea level, in Kazbegi Municipality, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, among the natural attractions of the region. The pass connects the Terek gorge with the Aragvi valley and forms part of the historic route between Tbilisi and Vladikavkaz, now part of European route E117.
The pass took its name in 1824, when a stone cross was erected here to mark the way for travellers and the watershed line of the Caucasus. The site was mentioned in the works of Pushkin, Griboyedov and Lermontov. Today the pass is marked by an obelisk, and nearby stands the Russia-Georgia Friendship Arch, built in 1983, offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.
The road over the pass remains a key transport route in Georgia and stays open year-round, except during periods of extreme weather.
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