A Day Trip and Adventure at the Mountainous Kazbegi Region

November 20, 2017

A Day Trip and Adventure at the Mountainous Kazbegi Region

Day 2: Sightseeing in Ananuri, Paragliding in Gudauri and Hiking to Gergeti

Kazbegi Region

One of the most beautiful places in Georgia is the Mtshketa-Mtianeti area which is found in the northeastern part of the country. Literally translated as "Mtshketa in the Mountains”, it lies at the northern slopes of Greater Caucasus mountains, around 3 hours away from the capital Tbilisi near the borders of Russia. It is known to the locals as the Kazbegi Region for being the area around Mt. Kazbek, the famous mountain and the third highest peak in Georgia.

Visiting this place made me a sucker for beautiful nature sceneries. Having the Caucasus within its borders, it is considered as Europe's hidden alpine getaway destination for the scenic nature it can offer. Though it isn't so famous, its unique beauty is comparable to the great Alpine Countries. The sight of gigantic mountains, valleys and hills would really make your mind blow. The virgin nature I've seen before seems dull and boring compared to this panoramic view and so far, it is the most beautiful place and country I've been to. The rugged terrains of snow-capped mountains and canyons looks surreal and picturesque and after seeing it myself made me totally left in awe.

Ananuri

Ananuri village is located on the main trade route leading to the north to Russia and in the past was part of the Great Silk Road nowadays called the Georgian Military Road. We started our journey a little early today since we are going to a far off region. On our way from Tbilisi, we had our first stop in Ananuri's water reservoir known as "Zhinvali", a damping area of the clean and blue mountain river of Aragvi. For me, the only word I can describe it is tranquility, the kind of place that would make you sit and contemplate. Its glassy waters has a calming effect, the ambience is therapeutic that gives this feeling of peace and serenity.

Ananuri Fortress

We drove along the river and reached another attraction Ananuri is famous for, the Fortress. Ananuri church and castle represents multifunctional architectural complex of the late feudal times in Georgia. It was built on 16th-17th century on the right bank of Aragvi River, under the Aragvi Eristavi Dynasty that was established since the 13th century. It was a site of numerous battles and a long history. From the attack of the rival duchy, massacre of Aragvi clan, revolution of local peasants, and a rule of another King. The fortress remained in use until the beginning of 19th century, and on 2007, it has been included in the list for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage Site program. The castle, the bell tower, three churches and beautifully carved walls are the highlights of this frequently visited site.

Read More: Ananuri Fortress

When in Georgia, you would really have a good portion of your time visiting historical areas. Not that I don't appreciate it, I do actually. It makes me more inclined to history and get to see those ancient structures that are not available in other places. We took some time in exploring the area, at the back of the Church has a body of water that connects to the main Aragvi river that we previously visited. At the same spot lies the church bell tower so is quite a fascinating view having both as a backdrop.

Gudauri

After the seeing the lovely and refreshing sites at Ananuri, we hit the road going to Gudauri. It is situated on a south-facing plateau of the greater Caucasus mountain range in Georgia at around 2,200 meters above see level. Upon going to this place, I only expected to see some snow but as we were getting nearer, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. After the colorful autumn sites, we were welcomed with breathtaking gigantic snow-covered mountains and it made my eyes glued to the car window. I literally couldn't take me eyes off of it. We drove all throughout the majestic view until we stop upon reaching the paragliding site.

The village resembles an old town, with brick houses and barns, but has some establishments that are mostly hotels and homestays used as an accomodation for tourist who visits the place. The Gudauri Ski Resort is a popular destination during winter, with mountain slopes covered in snow for 4-5 months (December to late April) which provides a great opportunities for winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and the extreme heli-skiing. Since it was late October when I get there, the fall is just beginning so there's still not much snow to see. Among the other outdoor activities, I chose to do the tandem Paragliding which is also one of its famous extremes.

Also Read: Paragliding in Gudauri

Stepatsminda (Kazbegi)

After my amazing experience in Gudauri, we went to our last destination which is a small town known as Stepatsminda. Historically, it is a part of Khevi Province and geographically the center of Kazbegi Municipality. The area is dominated by Alpine meadows, and of Mount Kazbek (locally known as Mkinvartsveri). A dormant 5047-meter high volcano and one highest peaks of Greater Caucasus mountains which is surrounded by myths and religious tradition.

The rustic town itself is charming and a good base camp when exploring the area further. It is a popular tourist destination and one of its important cultural sites is the Gergeti Tirinity Church, a UNESCO Heritage Site which was built on a hilltop in 14th century.

Rooms Hotel (Kazbegi)

Since hospitality is an inherent trait of Georgians, there are many guesthouse in the town center where locals will treat you like family. But one of the known modern establishments that stand out among them is Rooms Hotel. It lies at the foot of the hill and famous for having the best views of the rustic town, beautiful hills and picturesque mountains. For these reason, our guide Shota recommended this place for us to have lunch. We agreed and as he said, its restaurant has the best platform in viewing the whole region.

We had a set of lunch of authentic Georgian food served with wine and drink of choice, and all I can say is that Georgian cuisine is really good. There's a big portion of every serving and everything is pure delight and mouthwatering. I enjoyed best the Kachapuri and the Chicken Pullet, combined with the glass of famous Georgian Akasheni Wine. We stayed for a while after the sumptuous meal and just enjoyed the serenity of the place. It's the best definition of a "good food, good wine, good view".

Gergeti Trinity Church

Since it is one of the must-see spot not only in Stepantsminda but in Georgia, and included in my list of itinerary, I couldn't miss seeing it. As I've planned, I would hike in getting there as one of part of my adventures. After lunch, our guide Shota drove us to the start of the hiking area. We start climbing the trail leading to the church, got on top and had the most exhaliritang view from above. We explored the church then went down using the same trail. We went back to the same place where our guide, Shota, was waiting. Then went on our way back to Tbilisi with a short stop at Gudauri and Mineral Spring.

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A Day Trip and Adventure at the Mountainous Kazbegi Region

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