Our second visit to Georgia largely confirms the conclusions we drew earlier, of it being, in fact, quite a normal country, with predictable responses in the most touristic areas. On our last day in Georgia we drive from Gori to Tbilisi. On the way, we decide to see two more churches. The first one, Samtavisi, … Read more
The cave monastery in Vardzia is one of the main attractions in Georgia, not in the least because of the beautiful frescos in the rock-church of the Assumption. Having come from the coast and the Adjara region, and across the Goderji pass, the countryside has changed dramatically. No more lush green hills, but dry mountains, … Read more
In the Adjara region we find plenty of traces of its Muslim origin, from mosques to old Ottoman bridges. And a range of surprises, high up in the mountains on both sides of the Goderji Pass. Once again we have decided to take the more direct, yet slower, rough road inland from Batumi, instead of … Read more
Batumi is Georgia’s foremost Black Sea harbour and beach town, and judging from its modern construction obviously booming – although taste is another matter. Batumi, as far as I can see, has three distinct elements. There is the beach front, for which it is famous, and the associated Batumi Boulevard. There is the old town, … Read more
An afternoon at the Black Sea, in two locations quite different from each other. It is time to explore the Black Sea. Before we settle in Batumi for a few days, Batumi with its gravel beaches, we check out the black sand of the area further to the north. With our monster – our rented … Read more
Tskaltubo is partly a ghost town with old Soviet senatoriums and bathhouses, one of which is still kind of operating. In the spirit of Stalin, who also stayed here. We have booked ourselves a night in the Tskaltubo spa resort. One of the very few – if not the only one – of the health … Read more
Driving in Georgia poses certain challenges not necessarily familiar to those used to western Europe. We all agree that driving in Georgia is perhaps a tad different from driving in any comfortable Western European country, say, The Netherlands, for instance. Georgian roads create a few challenges that we in Western Europe are not normally used … Read more
One of the benefits of the touristic development of Mestia is the upgrade of the Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography, which since 2013 is housed in a modern, purpose-built construction. Six exhibition halls on the first floor provide room for the excellent collection of the museum, from archeological finds going back to the Bronze … Read more
Mestia is Svaneti’s main town, with lots of old houses and defence towers, as well as modern architecture and tourism facilities. If I found Ushguli already a bit of a tourist trap, Mestia is even further developed. This is the centre of Svaneti tourism, from where everything is being managed. Here the tours depart, the … Read more
