Georgia’s winemaking tradition can be experienced not only through tasting, but also as a craft: Qvevri winemaking began 8,000 years ago, has been preserved to this day, and was granted UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status in 2013. At Iago Winery, visitors can walk through organic vineyards, tour the Qvevri cellar, taste wines and seasonal products from the local selection, and learn about Georgian Qvevri winemaking. This brings a long-standing tradition together with a tangible insight into how it is practiced.
History in towns and rock-cut sites
The Historical Monuments of Mtskheta comprise Jvari Monastery, Svetitstkhoveli Cathedral and Samtavro Monastery. From the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD, Mtskheta was the ancient capital of Kartli, the eastern Georgian kingdom. Another defining turning point came in 337: Christianity was declared the state religion of Georgia in Mtskheta. The three monuments therefore stand within a historical setting that spans many centuries.
Uplistsikhe, too, brings history to life through the layout of the place. Visitors can walk through streets and squares and see public spaces carved into the rock: temples, a theater, pharmacies, wine presses and wine cellars. As early as the 4th century BC, Uplistsikhe was an important spiritual center. Exploring the site therefore reveals not just individual rock chambers, but also an early urban layout with distinct public and religious areas.
Vardzia presents a different kind of life carved into rock: the 900-meter-long cave city is cut into a cliff face and has several levels connected by tunnels. The Dormition of the Virgin Church, with its frescoes, lies at the center of the complex. The Svaneti Museum offers another way to explore the past. Its Christian treasury includes manuscripts, Gospels, Georgian translations and the Lahili Gospel; an ethnographic exhibition explores the everyday life of the people of Svaneti.
Wetlands, forests and trails
The Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands comprise ancient Colchic temperate rainforests and wetlands, including percolation mires and other types of peatland. The area is home to 19 threatened animal species and serves as a stopover site for globally threatened migratory birds. Nature here cannot be reduced to a single type of forest: mires and other wetlands are also part of this landscape.
The national parks, too, offer different perspectives. Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park combines marked trails with overnight shelters, picnic areas and campsites suitable for multi-day trips. Rare species in the park include Caucasian grouse and lynx; it also has relict yew stands. At Mtirala National Park, hikers can take one- to two-day trips along marked trails. There are picnic and camping areas, and a tourist shelter is located on the two-day trail. These trails therefore offer different time frames for planning.
Kazbegi National Park encompasses forests, alpine meadows, snow-covered peaks and inaccessible rock faces that provide habitats for rare animals and birds. In the Truso Valley, notable features include a fortress complex, abandoned villages with some monasteries still in operation, mineral springs, travertines and Abano Mineral Lake. Here, the landscape brings together natural and cultural traces, each with its own story.
Wine routes and winter sports
If you would also like to discover Georgia through its wine-growing landscape, Kakheti is an important destination: the region is considered Georgia’s leading wine-producing region. The Kakheti Wine Route offers cycling routes for different fitness and challenge levels; April to October is considered the best time to ride them. The wine route therefore offers a practical way to explore the region by bike. Seasonal planning and physical challenge are two separate considerations: the route offers options for different levels, while the stated time frame provides a guide to choosing when to travel.
Gudauri adds winter sports to the picture. In addition to skiing, activities include snowboarding, freestyle skiing and heli-skiing, in which skiers are flown by helicopter to mountain peaks and ski off-piste. Gudauri has twenty ski runs, divided into four European difficulty levels. For the drive from Tbilisi to Gudauri, you should generally allow about two to two and a half hours; weather and traffic can affect the journey time. If you are planning specific activities or a route, check the relevant conditions and options before your trip.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Mingrelia and Upper Svaneti, Tbilisi, Adjara, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Guria, Kakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti, Imereti, Inner Kartli, Lower Kartli, Abkhazia, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Adjara.
