Georgia

Georgia, Georgian Sakartvelo, country of Transcaucasia located at the eastern end of the Black Sea on the southern flanks of the main crest of the Greater Caucasus Mountains. It is surrounded by Russia to the north and northeast, Azerbaijan to the east and southeast, Armenia and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the west. Georgia has three ethnic enclaves: Abkhazia, which is in the northwest and has its main city in Sokhumi; Ajaria, which is in the southwest and has its main city in Batumi; and South Ossetia, which is in the north (principal city Tskhinvali). Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia (Tiflis).
The roots of the Georgian people extend deep in history; their cultural heritage is equally ancient and rich. During the Middle Ages, Georgia was ruled by a powerful kingdom that was at its strongest between the 10th and 13th centuries. Georgia was taken over by the Russian Empire in the 19th century, after being ruled for a long time by the Turks and the Persians. Georgia was its own country from 1918 until 1921, when it became part of the Soviet Union. Georgia became a union republic in 1936, and it stayed that way until the fall of the Soviet Union. During the time that Georgia was part of the Soviet Union, the economy became more modern and varied. Georgia is one of the republics that wants independence the most. On November 19, 1989, it declared sovereignty, and on April 9, 1991, it declared independence.

The 1990s were a period of instability and civil unrest in Georgia, as the first postindependence government was overthrown and separatist movements emerged in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Located in the Caucasus and along the Black Sea coast, Georgia is a sovereign state. Although it is at the crossroads of two continents, Eastern Europe and Western Asia, it is often considered to be a part of Europe today. It has borders with Russia to the north and northeast, Turkey and Armenia to the south, and Azerbaijan to the southeast.

The weather in Georgia is affected by both the warm, moist air that blows in from the west and the dry, continental air that flows in from the east. By blocking cold air from the north, the Greater Caucasus range helps to keep the region’s average temperature relatively mild. The lowlands along the western shore offer a direct path for the warm, humid air coming from the Black Sea. Distance from the Black Sea and altitude are two of the factors used to classify climates. Along the Black Sea coast, from Abkhazia to the Turkish border, and in the region known as the Colchis Lowland inland from the coast, subtropical climate with high humidity and considerable precipitation is typical (1,000 to 2,000 mm or 39.4 to 78.7 in per year; the Black Sea port of Batumi receives 2,500 mm or 98.4 in per year). Temperatures as low as 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter and as high as 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer make this region ideal for the development of several palm species.

In July and August, when most Georgians are on vacation, Tbilisi and the lowlands may get so hot that they are impossible to live in. This is the best time not to visit Georgia country.
In the mountains, it can start snowing as early as September, while September and early October are the most comfortable times to be in the lowlands.
During the off season, winter weather often comes in December, January, and sometimes even March (November–April). It will  be a fun time in Georgia. One can consider these months.
May is wet and nice, with lots of wildflowers and hiking trails that are open again after a long winter.In terms of weather, June is the best month to visit Georgia.

• Explore the old city Tbilisi’s
• Taste the Georgian Wine
• Visit Svaneti
• See Gergeti Trinity Church
• Explore the Caves of Gareji
• Dont miss Martivili Canyon
• Get Sulfur Baths of Tbilisi

The first stop on a Tbilisi city tour is the Metekhi plateau, where visitors can take in a breathtaking panorama of the historic neighbourhood they’re about to explore: the Narikala citadel, the Bath district, Meidan, Kala district, and Betlemi district. Tbilisi’s history may be explored at this site, which also features a monument of the city’s namesake monarch, Vakhang Gorgasali. It’s a cable car that links the brand new Rike Park to the ancient fortification of Narikala.

In just a few minutes on the cable car, you may reach breathtaking vantage points overlooking Old Tbilisi. You can see the entire city and the botanical park from the cable car’s observation deck. The Narikala fortress’s basement dates back to the fourth century. Views of Tbilisi from Narikala are some of the best in the city. Therms built in the Roman style were discovered by archaeologists in the Bath area. The Legvtakhevi and bath district is the beating heart of Tbilisi. The city of Tbilisi is said to have been founded around the city’s hot sulphur springs. The city’s earliest levels were also uncovered by archaeologists working in this area. The little river Legvtakhevi flows through the spa district. Once cloaked in mystery for decades, its picturesque canyon has now been revealed thanks to recent reconstruction efforts.

The historic district known as Meidan. The city’s historic central square is now encircled with charming eateries. Tbilisi had 18 Karavan-sarays, a type of guesthouse for merchants on the road, in the city’s commerce and craft sector. They were living there and running a shop off of the ground level. These marketplaces, called Karavan-Sarais in Georgian but derived from the Persian name for Georgia, were common across the Middle East and are the forerunners of today’s shopping malls. Few visitors will see any of them.

During the 20th century, Georgia was the main country in the Soviet Union that made wine. However, since getting its independence in the 1990s, the country’s wine industry has been run by smaller-scale growers who are focused on making better wine.

Georgia is also a world leader in making wine, maybe by accident. Some of the most famous winemakers in the world follow the Georgian tradition of fermenting their wines in huge clay amphorae called qvevri. This method has been used for hundreds of years. Also, natural or orange wine might be the drink of choice for millennials, but it has been made in Georgia for hundreds of years.

One of these orange wines, Tifliski Vini Pogreb, Kartuli Vazi Select Orange Rkatsiteli 2020, scored 96/100 and won a Gold Medal at this year’s IWSC. The judges liked its “fresh and brilliant nose of golden apples, pears, ginger biscuits, and honey,” as well as its clean taste.

Georgia won two Gold medals at this year’s IWSC. One of them was for a red wine made from the local Saperavi grape variety. Its name means “colour,” and despite having a strong body and strong flavours, the wines it makes are often semisweet (such as licorice, plums, and spices).

In 2022, at the International Wine & Spirits Competition, all of the Georgian wines were put into groups based on their colour and style before a panel of experts tasted them blind. Sarah Abbott MW was in charge of the event, and wine communicator Brad Horne, wine buyer Will Hill from The Humble Grape, and The Wine Society buyer Freddy Bulmer were also there. Read on to find out more about some of the best Georgia wines that did well in the competition.

Anyone who has been to a supra can see how much respect is shown to Georgian wine (feast). Archaeologists have found pruning knives and stone presses in Georgia that date back as far as 8,000 years. Because of its long history of making wine, Georgia is often called the “cradle of wine.” Some people say that before going into battle, soldiers would weave a piece of grapevine into their breast protection so that when they died, a vine would grow from their chest.

The people of Svaneti have been around for a very long period.

Lebikva and Lazga are Neolithic monuments that date back to the Stone Age (12,000 years ago!). Archaeologists have a relatively uncluttered record of the culture of Svaneti dating back approximately 5,000 years, beginning in the third millennium B.C.

Svaneti was ruled by the Colchis, who made it into a significant metallurgical centre throughout the Bronze Age and Middle Ages, supplying copper to the rest of Georgia.
Svaneti Museum displays ancient weaponry.

Given the region’s strategic location, the Svan people have been invaded frequently throughout history, and as a result, they have evolved a ferocious warrior mindset. Indeed, Svaneti was one of the few areas that successfully resisted the Mongols.

The wealthy residents of Svaneti began constructing stone towers on the roofs of their dwellings as early as the ninth century to protect themselves against invaders.

Gergeti Trinity Church, which is located in the heart of Georgia, is one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks, especially when set against the backdrop of the towering mountains that surround it. Cone-shaped spires top off this Caucasian church, which dates back to the 14th century. The distance to the Russian border is negligible.

Prior to the outbreak, Shawn and I spent four months in Georgia. Tbilisi was chosen as our home base since that is where many of our long-time friends were located. Shawn and I had the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities while in the state capital of Georgia.

Abesalom and Eteri was performed at Tbilisi’s fancy opera theatre, and our friends came out to see it with us one night. In Georgia, this opera is among the top-rated shows. (Unbelievably, tickets began at just $3 USD.)

Shawn and I volunteered as ambassadors for two promising young chefs, Dinara and Mzia. Women in the community opened their houses to us and taught us to prepare traditional Georgian fare like pkhali, khachapuri, and lobio, all of which were brightly coloured and bursting with taste.

Most tourists in Kazbegi make a point of hiking up to Gergeti Trinity Church, the city’s most recognizable landmark. Hiking farther up to Gergeti Glacier is a great day trip for people who want to spend more time up up and personal with Kazbek. The round-trip climb takes 9-12 hours and covers 9-12 hours of ascent to the foot of the glacier at 3300 meters. But if you’re in reasonably good shape, you shouldn’t have any trouble with it, and the spectacular vistas along the route more than make up for the effort (weather depending, of course).

The network of 18 orthodox Christian monasteries found in the Gareja semi-desert is symbolized by the David Gareja medieval cave monastery. The majority of the region is located in Georgia, namely in Kakheti. The cells, churches, chapels, refectories, and residential quarters are all carved out of the rock face, and are famous for their old paintings and stunning vistas.

Monk David, one of the thirteen Assyrian fathers, established the first monastery at what is now called David’s Larva, a natural cave in the Gareji desert, in the sixth century AD. Dodo and Lukiane, two of David’s followers and students, built two further cloisters in the same century: Dodo’s Rka and the Monastery of John the Baptist, also known as Natlismtsemeli.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, when new monasteries like Udabno, Sabereebi, Bertubani, White Desert, Tsintskaro, Kolagiri, Tetrisenakebi, Big Boilers, Mravtskaro, Pirukugmari, Black Senaki, Berta Mountain, Gatsatshori Cave, Small boilers, Veran-Gareja, and Chichkhituri were built, the David Gareji and the monks at Udabno ran a fresco painting academy where they developed their own set of guidelines for monastic architecture and daily living. One of the most important learning institutions in medieval Georgia was the Gareji Art School.

Current visitors may expect to see semiarid landscapes, discover nature through vehicle safari, enjoy birding, simple hiking, and pilgrims. Its distant location on the Azerbaijani border adds to its special character.

Davit Gareja is still a thrilling experience for tourists despite the fact that no work has been done to preserve the historic frescoes or the walking trail leading to it.

In the summer, it may get frighteningly hot by midday, so you should aim to arrive no later than 11 a.m. at the latest.

You’ll need drink, sunscreen, and sturdy shoes for the rocky ascent up the slope in the middle of the day. Macrovipera, such as lizards and snakes, may be found in the semi-desert. There may be Georgian and Azerbaijani border patrols in the region, so it’s a good idea to have some kind of identification with you just in case.

Dine at the cozy Oasis Club, a family restaurant in the remote town of Udabno, deep in the heart of the Russian steppe (Georgia). Try a fusion of European and Georgian dishes cooked by Udabno’s native chefs. Experience a variety of beverages, such as tarragon chacha, Polish vodka, and a hand-picked array of Georgian wines. Bicycles can be rented from the hosts.

Udabno Terrace is a two-story restaurant in the heart of the Gareji desert that serves traditional, wonderful dishes together with beer and wine. The traditional kitchen and bar are located on the top floor, where you can also take in the breathtaking views.

The Dadiani aristocratic family frequently visited Gachedili Canyon to take advantage of its historic bathing culture. The canyon is next to the well-preserved ruins of a typical Megrelian two-story mill that was in use in the 18th and 19th centuries. There is a 30 step limestone stairway at the bottom of the canyon, on the Dadiani path. George the Hagiorite and King David IV of Georgia, so the tradition goes, used these stairs.

The 700-meter-long stone-paved tourist path from the canyon visitor centre to the three canyon observation platforms and the old Dadiani trail is connected by two bridges. Visitors may also take a boat ride down a 300-meter stretch of the Abasha River through a gorge. The Dadiani’s Bath is a particularly lovely part of the canyon.

Until the beginning of the 21st century, the canyon was rarely visited by anybody other than its native inhabitants. However, the site has seen a rise in local and international visitors in recent years. Daredevils jumping down waterfalls, swimmers in high water, scuba divers without training or equipment, and those rappelling or spelunking have all been responsible for accidents. In response, the government has implemented an electronic ticketing system to limit visitor numbers in order to protect the canyon, which is a popular tourist attraction and somewhat of a hidden treasure in the city of Martvili. In spite of the changing of the seasons, the water in the canyon remains ice cold all year long.

In the historic district of Abanotubani in the city of Tbilisi, you’ll find a dozen sulphur bathhouses. All of them are underground, although some have semicircular domes that let in a lot of light. Sulfur steam and new air are circulated via the ceilings, which act like little chimneys. In addition to being blissfully hot (about 38–40 degrees Celsius on average), the sulfuric water is also said to have healing properties. Besides the obvious therapeutic benefits, they are also commonly used to treat digestive issues, sleeplessness, arthritis, and skin conditions including acne and eczema.

There are both public baths (separate pools for men and women) and private rooms available to guests. Fees for both services are based on time spent. Access to the public baths will set you back 5 GEL, while a luxurious suite complete with a private sauna would set you back 200 GEL.