Snigdha TiwariA former Soviet republic that’s home to Caucasus Mountain villages and the Black Sea beaches, Georgia is a country at the intersection of Europe and Asia.
It is famous for Vardzia, a sprawling cave monastery dating to the 12th century, and the ancient wine-growing region Kakheti where the capital, Tbilisi is known for the diverse architecture and mazelike, cobblestone streets of its old town.
Georgia is a perfect destination for more intrepid travelers wanting to explore mountainous regions and lush lowland vineyards. So let’s check out some of the stunning places to visit in Georgia.
Here are the Top 8 Best Places To Visit In Georgia – Europe.
1. Mestia
Mestia, the main regional center of Zemo Svaneti that is situated 456 km from Georgia’s capital city, Tbilisi, and is 1,500 meters above sea level.
It is the starting point for most trips to Svaneti, with a range of hotels, guesthouses, and local travel services, and makes a convenient base for exploring the area.
Travelers interested in religious history will find plenty of examples of wall paintings, frescoes, and icons from the Middle Ages in the churches around Mestia where the views that await you are definitely worth the trip.
2. Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital of the country of Georgia where its cobblestoned old town reflects a long, complicated history, with periods under Persian and Russian rule.
Tbilisi’s diverse architecture encompasses Eastern Orthodox churches, ornate art nouveau buildings, and Soviet Modernist structures.
Looming over it all are Narikala, a reconstructed 4th-century fortress, and Kartlis Deda, an iconic statue of the “Mother of Georgia.” Tbilisi is one of the must-visit places in Georgia.
3. Stepantsminda
Stepantsminda, commonly known as Kazbegi is a townlet in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of north-eastern Georgia.
Historically and ethnographically, the town is part of the Khevi province inhabiting around 2,000 residents is located in the northeast of Georgia where travelers come from all over to witness the raw beauty of the area and to see Gergeti Trinity Church.
It is one of the must-see destinations in Georgia, mostly due to amazing hiking routes and stunning nature. So you must visit Stepantsminda when you are in Georgia.
4. Mtskheta
Being one of the oldest cities of Georgia, Mtskheta is a city in Mtskheta-Mtianeti province of Georgia that is the religious capital, the spiritual heart, and therefore the most important city of Georgia.
It was also the location where Christianity was proclaimed as the kingdom’s official religion and continues to function as the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The town of approximately 8000 people is one of Georgia’s top travel destinations.
The ancient history of Mtskheta is fascinating and detailed. The city was founded in the 5th century BCE by indigenous Meskhian tribes thought to have originally migrated from Anatolia.
The historic churches of Mtskheta, the former capital of Georgia, are outstanding examples of medieval religious architecture in the Caucasus.
They show the high artistic and cultural level attained by this ancient kingdom, so don’t forget to visit this historical city of Georgia.
5. Narikala
Narikala is an ancient fortress overlooking Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, and the Kura River. Also called the Mother Fortress of Tbilisi, Narikala is an ancient symbol of Tbilisi’s defense.
The fortress consists of two walled sections on a steep hill between the sulfur baths and the botanical gardens of Tbilisi. On the lower court, there is the recently restored St Nicholas church.
It is the most known and ancient monument of Tbilisi’s antiquity; the townspeople call it “the heart and soul of the city”.
Narikala Fortress is nowadays the leading sighting among the most visited places in Tbilisi by travelers from all over.
It draws your attention from all sides of Tbilisi where you can notice it from almost every part of Tbilisi that offers you some of the best panoramas of the city.
6. Vardzia
Vardzia is a spectacular cave monastery near Aspindza in southern Georgia which is excavated from the slopes of the Erusheti Mountain on the left bank of the Kura River.
The main period of construction was the second half of the twelfth century. It looks like one of the movie sets of Lord of the Rings where in reality it is a cave-palace-monastery built not by dwarfs, but by Georgians in the Caucasus for their fabled queen Tamar.
The outside slope of the mountain was covered with fertile terraces, suitable for cultivation, for which an intricate system of irrigation was designed.
With such defenses, natural and man-made, the place must have been all but impregnable to human forces. Alas, the glorious days of Vardzia didn’t last for very long. So don’t miss visiting Vardzia as it is worth the visit.
7. Gremi
City of Gremi, capital of vanished the Kachetian Kingdom of Georgia, located on the Gillian-Shemakha branch of the Great Silk Road, was destroyed by the army of Shah Abbas in XVI c. and never been restored since then.
The ruins of Gremi city are now an important Late Medieval archaeological site with ruins of churches, trading arcades, baths, and dwellings.
Standing above the green valley of Alazan, Gremi attracts travelers whose road goes between Telavi and Kvareli.
Gloomy and monumental, the castle is one of the most visited tourist points in Georgia. Gremi also attracts travelers with the well-preserved architectural complex: the Church of Archangels Michael and Gabriel and the Royal Tower.
8. Uplistsikhe
Uplistsikhe, whose name translates to ‘Fortress of the Lord’, is an ancient rock-hewn town that played a significant role in Georgian history over a period of approximately 3,000 years which is located in eastern Georgia, about 100 km from Tbilisi.
The ancient cave city was built on a rocky bank of the Mtkvari River, approximately 15 km east of the town of Gori.
You will be amazed when you find out that this site dates back to as early as the second millennium BC. It is the oldest ancient settlement known in Georgia which is now is on the UNESCO list and there are some works planned to preserve it.
The views from the cliff over the village and the Mtkvari river are spectacular, the natural forms of agriculture are still kept to this day, if you are lucky, you will see the shepherds with their herds grazing down in the valley below the ruins.
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