Georgia sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, where the Greater Caucasus mountains form a natural wall between the Black Sea coast and the vast steppe of the north. It is a country of ancient Christian monasteries perched on mountain ridges, medieval wine cellars producing the world's oldest viniculture tradition, a capital city undergoing a cultural renaissance, and landscapes that range from subtropical coastal forest to high-alpine glaciers.
Tbilisi is one of the most charismatic capitals in the former Soviet space. The Old Town of Abanotubani is built across the banks of the Mtkvari River, its overhanging wooden balconies, sulphurous bathhouses, and Persian-influenced architecture creating a cityscape unlike anything in Europe proper. The Narikala Fortress overlooks the old town from a rocky bluff. The Rustaveli Avenue cuts through the 19th-century new city with its belle epoque theatres and museums. And the Fabrika complex — a former Soviet sewing factory converted into a bar, hostel, and arts space — represents new Tbilisi at its most energetic.
The Caucasus mountains north of Tbilisi are Georgia's great outdoor destination. The Kazbegi region, anchored by the town of Stepantsminda, is dominated by Mount Kazbek (5,047m) and the Gergeti Trinity Church, which sits on a hilltop at 2,170 metres with glaciers and peaks filling the horizon. The military highway connecting Tbilisi to the Russian border passes through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in Europe. Hiking to the church, and beyond onto the Gergeti Glacier, is the country's most iconic walk.
The wine regions of Kakheti in the east have been producing wine for at least 8,000 years — longer than anywhere else in the world. Georgian winemaking uses the traditional kvevri method — fermentation and ageing in clay vessels buried underground — producing amber wines of distinctive tannic depth that are increasingly sought internationally. Wine touring through the Alazani Valley, with its monastery-topped hills and cellar visits, is one of the great pleasure-travel experiences of the Caucasus.
Svaneti, in the remote northwest, is a UNESCO cultural landscape of medieval defensive towers rising from mountain villages, preserved by isolation and maintained as living heritage.
Georgian food — khinkali dumplings, khachapuri cheese bread, walnut-stuffed vegetables, and slow-roasted meats — is one of the world's genuinely great culinary traditions. The best time to visit is May to June or September to October, when mountain trails are open and temperatures are ideal.
