places to visit in Georgia
Georgian culture is ready amazing but Georgia's nature is truly astounding! It's worth spending money and time on visiting Georgia because even locals get amazed by how amazing our nature is.
Now let's get to my list of top 5 places to visit in Georgia
Tbilisi - თბილისი (capital city)
If you're visiting a country, I think you should definitely see the capital.
Tbilisi (also called Tiflis in some countries) is the biggest and most populated city of Georgia with estimated 1.5Mil people. The city was founded 1000 years ago. It's full of museums and monuments which are worth seeing. If you take the tour bus trust me you won't miss any amazing places and my biggest tip is to go see old Tbilisi. Old Tbilisi attracts even locals with it's beauty and majesty.
You should also definitely see the Mother of Tbilisi and Mtatsminda Park if you want a fulfilled tour
Mtskheta is the religious capital, the spiritual heart and therefore the most important city of Georgia. It used to be the capital city before King Gorgasali changed his base to Tbilisi.
It’s also one of the oldest cities in Georgia, where 4000-year-old traces of human settlements were found. Mtskheta is home to three of Georgia’s most important churches: Svetitskhoveli, Jvari and Samtavro Monastery.
Saint Nino lived in this city. She’s known as the Enlightener of Georgia, is one of the most important saints in this country (many girls are named after her). She’s the woman who preached Christianity in Georgia and the reason why this religion was adopted as the state religion in the year 330.
Vardzia is a spectacular cave monastery near Aspindza in southern Georgia. It looks like one of the movie sets of Lord of the Rings, although it wasn’t the home of dwarves but of many monks.
This underground monastery was built in the 12th Century, under the reign of King Tamar, the first woman that was ever crowned as a king (not a queen!) in Georgian history. It used to be completely hidden until a severe earthquake exposed and destroyed the cave monastery.
According to one legend, young Tamar Mepe (kind Tamar) was wondering around this place and got lost and when her raising man (male nanny) lost her and started looking for her and shouting her name, Tamar answered with "aka var dzia" (meaning "I'm here, uncle") and that's where the name comes from
Batumi is a modern city on the coast of the Black Sea. It’s the second biggest city in Georgia and honestly, you feel like you're in a European country because of how different it is from, let's say, Tbilisi.
One moment you can hear the church bells ringing, the next you hear the muezzin’s call to prayer coming from the mosques (Batumi is right near the border with Turkey). And in the Batumi Boulevard you can hear lots of classical music which is quite fascinating tbh.
The architecture is a combination of European and Asian styles, often mixed with fairy-tale like towers, statues and buildings created by some hallucinating architects. This is definitely visible at night when the majority of the building is lit up and bathing in the colors of the rainbow.
Batumi is a ‘glamorous’ city, designed to attract tourists and gamblers to play in one of its many casinos.
You should definitely go to see the Anbani K'oshk'i (alphabet tower) and the Boulevard when visiting Batumi.
Located in northwestern Georgia and locked in the heart of the Caucasus mountains lies the historic province Svaneti. The only way to get there is by driving from Zugdidi to Mestia along steep windy roads looking over beautiful gorges, wild rivers, and majestic mountains.
Svaneti consists of several small villages, built on the slopes of the snow-covered mountains and surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of alpine meadows. Walking around in these picturesque villages that are dominated by tower-houses, gives you the feeling that you’re thrown back into the European Middle Ages.
The road to get there is very rough and bumpy but so beautiful! The inhabitants live a remote and unique life. They ride on horses through the cobblestone streets while pigs, dogs, cows and goats walk next to them on the little paths.
The Svanuri K'oshk'ebi (Svan Castles) are really mesmerising and the nature adds up to it