Svaneti

Svaneti is a historical mountainous region in northwestern Georgia. Geographically and historically, Svaneti is divided into Upper and Lower Svaneti, separated by the Svaneti Range. From the north and east, Upper Svaneti is bordered by the Main Caucasian Ridge with the peaks of Shkhara, Ushba, Tetnuldi, etc., along which Georgia's border with Russia runs.The Svaneti Range rises from the south, which is directly adjacent to the Main Caucasian Range and closes Upper Svaneti from the east.From the west, the area is separated by the Hurum ridge from the Kodori Gorge. Upper Svaneti is known for its architectural treasures and picturesque landscapes. Residential towers, built mainly in the IX—XII centuries, stand out. Ancient stone Orthodox churches have also been preserved.Upper Svaneti has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

Lower Svaneti is a valley in the upper reaches of the Tskhenistskali River . From the north, Lower Svaneti is separated from the Upper Svaneti range. From the southwest, the Egrisi range separates the region from Megrelia, and the Lechkhumi range separates it from Lechkhumi in the south and Racha in the east.

Of course, the best time to travel to Svaneti is summer. Already at the end of May, warm winds begin to blow, the snow completely disappears, trees and grasses bloom. Autumn is the most fabulous time of the year in Svaneti, with golden trees and a clear blue sky.The off-season in Svaneti is quite unpredictable, and warm sun, sudden rain, or even snow can fit in one day. The most obscure season in Svaneti is spring. March is quite a winter month in these parts.And winter is a difficult season in Svaneti. By New Year's Eve, about a meter of snow usually falls. But winter has its own beauty, unusual, cold, harsh. It's like entering a silent winter kingdom: snow-covered streets, towers with huge white caps, silver forest on the slopes of valleys. In clear weather, snow sparkles in the sun, and mountains are visible in the sky: Tetnuldi Pyramid, two–horned Ushba, and Shkhara, the highest point of the Svaneti range. A cold winter fairy tale. And the mountains are beautiful and majestic. Climbers will be able to find the most difficult routes to famous peaks here: Ushba, the peaks of the Bezengi Wall, tourists will be able to walk interesting mountain routes, trekking enthusiasts will be able to discover beautiful views, freeriders will find good slopes right under Ushba, even fans of horseback riding will not be bored, and if you are a fisherman, you will be shown wonderful places where you can catch mountain trout. Or maybe you're a historian? Then this is the place for you - churches that have been preserved since the 9th century with exterior and interior paintings, stunning ancient books and icons. After all, Svaneti, or rather Free Svaneti, has never fallen under anyone's rule, the invaders have never reached here, so all cultural monuments have been preserved here in their original form.

Mestia is the largest settlement in the mountainous Svaneti region of Georgia. 2,600 people live permanently in Mestia at an altitude of 1,400 m above sea level. Most of the mountain trails, waterfalls, glaciers and mountain lakes start in this city.The city of a thousand towers is sometimes called Mestia. In fact, there are a little less than three hundred of them, but looking at the slopes of the valley in Mestia, you begin to believe in a thousand. Descending from the mountain, the forest of coniferous giants gradually turns into a forest of towers of the city. Some of them are up to 25 meters high! The towers were built in the period from the 9th to the 13th century, so each is a historical monument, each is at least 7 centuries old. Even in 1987, when nature descended on Georgia with a month-and-a-half snowfall, when mountainous areas suffered from countless avalanches, and flatlands died in floods, the towers distinguished themselves by their resilience. Avalanches swept away entire villages in Svaneti, razing houses to the ground, but leaving the towers intact. To this day, in Svaneti, one can find lonely towers - peculiar monuments to this tragic year. Mestia's attractions include the historical villages of Lagami, Lanchvali and Lehtagi, the Museum of History and Ethnography, the old Svan residential complex of the Margiani family, the house museum of mountaineer Mikhail Khergiani. Of the churches in Mestia, the most notable is the Church of the Transfiguration of the 9th century in the Lagami area.There are several mineral water springs in Mestia. One is located right in the center, the other three are on the banks of the Malakhuri River.Near Mestia, at a distance of 7 km, there is the Khatsvali ski resort, one of the new resorts in Georgia, on the Zuruldi ridge.

In winter you can ski here, and in summer you can take a cable car to the top of the ridge, now Khatsvali is a major attraction. Mestia and partly the whole of Svaneti.

They rent equipment there and have a high-altitude cafe.

A modern concrete road has been laid from the center of Mestia to Hatsvali.It's definitely worth climbing here. Svaneti is a very hospitable region, where you definitely want to return.