Georgia has a history of human settlements from almost two million years ago, the longest outside of Africa. There have been continuous communities since at least Paleolithic times and winemaking has been in existence for the last 8,000 years. It has imposing mountains and coastal plains within 12 climatic zones. The people speak Georgian which is a non-Indo-European language with its own script. It’s in a tough neighborhood in the Southern Caucasus and has been invaded by many, from the Romans to the west and the Mongols from the east. It was once part of the Soviet Union, became independent, and subsequently Russia now occupies 20% of its territory. Parts of the country accepted Christianity in the fourth century AD and today about 90% identify with the Georgia Orthodox Church.
With this background, does a visit to Georgia seem like something you should consider? The answer is a resounding YES. It’s full of natural and cultural wonders. You can hike and ski in towering mountains, as well as parasail over the Black Sea. You can visit monasteries with amazing frescoes and mosaics or refresh yourself in one of its many watering holes. It feels European in some ways and Asian in others. My advice is to visit the country as soon as feasible to experience this unique culture and landscape.
Where Did the Name Georgia originate?
The name has nothing to do with English kings or the U.S. state of the same name. For centuries, the accepted theory was it was named after St. George, who slayed the dragon or from the Greek γεωργός (tiller of the land). Now scholars believe it was derived from the Persian word for wolf, gurğ (that’s awesome in my opinion).
Where is Georgia?
Georgia is bordered by the Black Sea, Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey, as you can see in this map from ResearchGate. The area is 69,700 sq km / 26,900 sq miles, less than half the state of Georgia and about the size of the country of Ireland.
The Russians perfected their latest incorporation of land from a neighbor in Georgia, now occupying one-fifth of the country, and later employed these tactics in Ukraine. The two Russian-controlled areas of the regions are the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia in the west and the former South Ossetian Autonomous Region of Soviet Georgia in the north.
Using the common definition of the Europe / Asia border is along the Caucasus mountains, 95% is in Asia and 5% Europe, on the north slope of the Caucasus. Based on this toehold into Europe, Georgia submitted its membership application to the European Union. It’s common to see the EU flag flying on some government buildings.
Why We Went to Georgia
My wife Khadija and I attended the first Extraordinary Travel Festival in Yerevan, Armenia in mid-October 2022. Georgia is right next door, so we went there afterwards and spent six full days there.
How Long to Spend in GEORGIA?
We spent half of our time in the capital Tbilisi and the other half in the center of the country, as shown by this map.
It would take at least two weeks to complete our itinerary and add the mountainous regions in the north and east, the Black Sea area in the west and lower-altitude mountains and attractions in the south.
What to Eat in Georgia
Georgian cuisine has similarities with those of neighboring South Caucasus countries, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. If you are hungry, you are likely to be fulfilled as the dishes of meat, cheese, and dough are served in large and dense portions, but balanced by a side salad. A book could be written about the country’s cooking but I’d like to highlight the khinkali dumplings stuffed with meat, potatoes, mushrooms or cheese.
Also, Khachapuri (cheesy and usually oily flatbread) and juicy meat kabobs of beef, pork and lamb are found everywhere.
Caucasus-Treking has an excellent summary of Georgian dishes.
But going to restaurants and pubs isn’t only about consuming food but delving into the culture. You never know when your fellow diners might be inspired to dance.
Is Georgia Safe?
Georgia is a safe country to travel but as everywhere, be sure to exercise caution, especially in deserted places and late at night. There is no entry to the Russian-occupied regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia from Georgia. These borders are armed with soldiers, so be careful if going anywhere near them.
Is Georgia Expensive?
Georgia is relatively inexpensive compared to Europe and the USA but more expensive than neighboring Armenia.
If you are a cost-conscious traveler but not a backpacker, you would probably spend at least $100/day on lodging, food, and transportation. With higher standards, it could be $150 / day or more. However, by staying in hostels, taking public transportation and eating on the street and in inexpensive restaurants, you can get by on much less.
The Georgian lari is the official currency.
Where to Stay in Georgia
We stayed in a combination of hotels and guesthouses, which were easily available in the places we visited. In Tbilisi, there are luxury hotels, as well as hostels. There are also many campsites scattered throughout the country.
How to Get Around How to get around Georgia
In Tbilisi, car service is relatively cheap and the 2-line, 23-station metro goes by a number of attractions and avoids the often-heavy vehicular traffic. A one-ride ticket was about 20 cents USD.
The metro opened in 1966 after construction started in 1952. Like other ex-Soviet metros, it’s far below the surface and stations are attractively decorated. We were in the system on Sunday morning and it wasn’t jam packed as during rush hours. It’s an extremely important transportation option as traffic in Tbilisi is often quite heavy.
It’s open from 6am to midnight every day. The system looks in good shape with comfortable cars. That wasn’t always the case. After the USSR collapsed in the nineties, it was under severe financial strain and for years was often not working.
We rented a car from Avis to travel outside of Tbilisi and had no problems driving and navigating. The main roads are in pretty good condition but secondary and tertiary ones can be bumpy. This is an advisable option, as many places are not accessible by public transportation.
What Languages Are Spoken?
Georgian is the most widely spoken of the Kartvelian languages which are indigenous to the South Caucasus and spoken primarily in Georgia. Of the 5 million Karvelian speakers, 3.8 million speak Georgian. It has its own script of unknown origins. Their alphabet corresponds to the Greek one, except for letters corresponding to unique Georgian sounds. Georgian is presently written in a 33-letter alphabet which overall looks like the number 3 mixed with wavy lines and a bit similar to Burmese. There are other scripts of Georgian primarily used in Orthodox churches.
English is widely spoken in Tbilisi and used in many signs. Outside of the country, you find English speakers but not as frequently as in the capital.
The following sign has good Georgian phrases to remember.
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is over 1,500-years old and became the capital of Georgia in 1921. It’s situated in a wide canyon, split by the Kura River. It’s immediately apparent to the visitor that this is a developed, modern city with a variety of architectural styles. Slightly over a million people live there. Here are some of the places we visited.
Old Town
Old Tbilisi is a network of narrow and twisting streets, often cobblestone.
Much of the old town is above street level, sometimes with a cobweb of stairways. In this case, each staircase leads to an apartment made after the seizure of a rich person’s house by the Bolsheviks after the Russian Revolution.
Once the city was full of connecting walkways between buildings, which helped socializing and escaping the authorities when pursued.
There are a slew of architectural styles, including Art Nouveau buildings with decorative balconies and verandas.
Other buildings of note are the Clock Tower, the Patriarchate of Georgia with striking carved doors (with a Bolnisi cross at the top, a national symbol of Georgia), the Persian-styled hamman with sulfur baths and the statue of St. George and the Dragon on top of the prominent column in the center of Liberty Square.
On the streets of Old Tbilisi you hear live music of traditional, quasi-traditional and modern genres.
Listening to local music adds to the ambience of Old Tbilisi, especially after leaving satiated from a delicious Georgian restaurant.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi is the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church and was built between 1995 and 2004. It is the third-tallest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the world.
Inside you see magnificent iconography and artwork including metal-covered paintings where all but the face or body is covered by metal and representations of Christ the Redeemer with skinny, long middle and index fingers pointing upwards. But this isn’t a museum, you’ll see Orthodox priests with beards and devout Christians lighting candles.
Bridge of Peace
The Bridge of Peace in Tbilisi is a foot bridge made of steel and glass, lit by LEDs at night. The bridge crosses the Kura River which divides the city. Since its opening in 2010 the structure has become a well-recognized landmark of the capital of Georgia.
The bridge stretches 150 m / 500 ft and was designed by the Italian architect Michele De Lucchi.
Tbilisi TV Tower
There are several stunning overviews of the city at the top of the surrounding mountains, including one accessible by funicular to the TV Tower on Mount Mtatsminda. The brightly lit tower is 275 m / 900 ft high.
Further up the mountain is a roller coaster which had zero riders for the several minutes I was walking by. The aura reminded me of Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away.”
Chronicle of Georgia
The Chronicle of Georgia was created by Zurab Tsereteli and never officially completed. It depicts Georgian imperial history from the 11th to 14th centuries, famous literary works and references to the important role of Christianity in the country. It crowns the highest hill for miles and would be a perfect prop for Game of Thrones.
It’s easy to spend at least an hour admiring the detailed stone carvings of this colossal work.
While it looks ancient, it was only started in 1985. Tsereteli is now 90-years old, a long-serving President of the Russian Academy of Arts and living in Moscow.
Betlemi Street Stairs with Colored Glass
At 4-6 Betlemi Street is a 19th century house with a veranda enclosed by colored glass with a variety of geometric designs.
There’s no history of who lived here and constructed this stairway. Whoever it was, they left an artwork treasure for future generations to enjoy.
Betlemi Street is parallel to the Kura River and is the center of the Jewish Quarter. There are a series of centuries-old houses and even a Zoroastrian temple.
Georgian National Gallery
When we were there, the gallery had an exhibition commemorating the 160th anniversary of the birth of Niko Pirosmanashvili (1862 to 1918). He is regarded as Georgia’s most famous painter, as the government recently put his image and one of his paintings on the front and back of the 1 Lari note. He is characterized as a “primitivist” painter, because of the simplicity of his subject matter and technique. While this is true, it misses the social commentary, the surreal features and the emotional impact of his work. Here Khadija is next to his “Woman with a Tankard of Beer.”
He taught himself to paint as a child, creating his own oil for painting, and his specialty was painting directly onto black oil cloth. He was poor his whole life and died of malnutrition and liver failure, without artistic recognition. Posthumously, his reputation grew, when his style became popular in the art circles of Paris (including praise from Picasso). His works have since been exhibited all around the world.
The gallery is on Shota Rustaveli Avenue named after the Georgian poet who lived from 1160 to 1220. It’s the main thoroughfare of the city and has numerous government and cultural buildings. Next to the gallery is the Georgian Orthodox Kashveti Church, a replica of an 11th-century cathedral, and across the street is the Parliament of Georgia.
Fabrika Tbilisi
Fabrika is a former-Soviet sewing factory and now a hostel with bars, restaurant, shops and a never-ending series of events and classes. It has work areas for artists, including those involved in music, visual arts, film, publishing and fashion. The exterior of the building is covered with graffiti which reflects the vibes of the center.
We had a wonderful dinner there of yogurt soup, natural grains and fresh vegetables and were taken by what a great place this is for meeting friends.
Mother of Georgia Statue
This statue is a monument you can see throughout the city, sneaking over rooftops and emerging over treetops.
The statue was erected on the top of Sololaki Hill in 1958, the year Tbilisi celebrated its 1500th anniversary. Georgian sculptor Elguja Amashukeli designed the 20m / 65ft aluminum woman in Georgian national dress, holding a sword in her right hand and a bowl of wine in her left hand. The former represents defending the country and the latter the hospitality of the people.
Stalin Museum in Gori
Gori would not be on anyone’s itinerary if not for the Stalin Museum in the city of his birth.
Stalin led the USSR from 1922 until his death in 1953. Notably, he wasn’t Russian but Georgian. His birth name was Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili. A non-insignificant minority of Georgians admire him, especially older ones who have positive memories of Soviet life.
The elaborate main building was built in Stalinist Gothic style and opened in 1957, four years after his death. The museum chronicles his life through documents, paintings, newspaper articles, gifts and photographs.
The museum displays one of twelve copies of his bronze death mask, first cast in plaster.
In the museum’s surrounding park, there’s the two-room house he grew up in. His father was a shoemaker and an alcoholic who beat his wife and son. Fittingly, one of the bordering streets is Stalin Avenue.
Stalin was responsible for the deaths of millions through forced collectivization of private farms, particularly in the Ukraine. In 1955, Stalin’s successor Nikita Khrushchev condemned his “excesses.”
I pondered the ethics of visiting a museum of a man responsible for these deaths and the waves of Communist Party purges that ruined the lives of the ousted and their families.
Gelati Monastery
The Gelati Monastery is an artistic and architectural national treasure. Founded in 1106, the monastery is perched on the side of a mountain with sweeping views and is one of the largest in the Orthodox medieval world. The exterior of the buildings are characterized by large, smooth stone-blocks, pointed domes and filled-arches. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
We arrived on a rainy and cloudy day, so little natural light flowed through the narrow-arched windows and for most of our time there, we were the only visitors. I was delighted by the numerous, colorful frescoes, a combination of faded, restored, old and new.
As an extra treat, there were mosaics here and there (we certainly missed some in the dim light).
While exploring another building, we entered a dark, damp and cavernous room and found these three gentlemen by themselves. They proceeded to give us a memorable private concert with their sonorous and deep voices.
Katskhi Pillar
One of the most isolated churches in the world sits atop Katskhi Pillar, a limestone monolith protruding far into the sky.
The church was built in the 6th to 8th centuries with a burial chamber, a wine cellar and three hermit cells. The natural column is 40 m / 130 ft high.
If we would have known that monks climb to the church daily on the hopefully secure, metal ladder bolted to the rocks to say prayers, we would have timed our visit to see them.
Chiatura
We went to the city of Chiatura to see cable cars which provide efficient transportation in a deep and picturesque canyon. However, they weren’t the “iron coffin” cable cars from the 1950s in Soviet times (picture from Atlas Obscura).
We found out they have been entirely replaced though some travel blogs haven’t been updated for this development. In any case, it was worth the trip to this city with no tourists just to see the beautiful canyon connected by modern cable cars.
The city has a concentration of Soviet apartment buildings, some spruced up with pastel paints. Most were rapidly put up and have issues in livability (e.g. poor sequencing of rooms, inadequate ventilation and lack of maintenance).
Sometimes, Soviet buildings are monotonous and have meager decorative design. However, it’s important to keep in mind the country had a dire housing shortage in the ‘50s and ‘60s and the government did a laudable job of constructing millions of residential units that still stand today.
South Ossetia Border
I was curious about the border with Russian occupied South Ossetia (sensible Khadija wasn’t). We drove there but were forced to turn around by Georgia soldiers about 100 m / 300 ft from the so-called Republic of South Ossetia – the State of Alania.
Except for a few dissenting countries, the world recognizes them as part of Georgia. What’s going on?
The USSR established the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast in 1922. This limited self-governing status was not a Union Republic like Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It was even lower than an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, but higher than an Autonomous Okrug.
After Georgia declared independence in 1991, the Georgian government abolished South Ossetia’s autonomy. This resulted in three military encounters with Russia in 1991-92, 2004 and 2008. The last one was a verifiable war where Ossetian and Russian forces gained full control of the territory.
South Ossetia only has a population of 55,000 and an area of 3,900 sq km / 1,500 sq mi (roughly the size of Rhode Island or 1/3 of Kosovo). Apparently any amount of land is worth fighting for, no matter how small.
South Ossetia relies heavily on financial support from Russia. Since 2008, the South Ossetian government has expressed their intention of joining Russia, but no referendum has taken place. This scenario of Russian occupation has occurred multiple times, including Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine and Abkhazia also in Georgia.
Other Destinations
We thought we did as much as possible in our six days but knew we missed a lot, including:
- Batumi, Georgia’s second city on the Black Sea
- Stepantsminda nestled in incredibly scenic mountains
- Vardzia cave dwellings
- Sighnaghi with terracotta roofs and cobbled streets
- Mtskheta, close to Tbilisi, with the 11th-century Svetiskhoveli Cathedral
- Borjomi, a spa town in a dense forest
Final Thoughts
At the first Extraordinary Travel Festival in Yerevan, Armenia, we met the dauntless Francis Tapon, who has been to the highest points in 50 of the 54 African countries and is the host of the WanderLearn Podcast. We later ran into him with his friend Mary while we were all wandering Old Tbilisi.
We later met them in Gori and toured the Stalin Museum.
We then departed on our separate ways, as they were going west and we aimed to go to the mountains in the north. A few hours later, Khadija had a crisis and couldn’t find her iPhone. We searched our luggage, hotel room and car but to no avail. Then Khadija remembered that when she used my iPhone to take the above picture of Francis and me, she gave hers to Mary. When we separated, Khadija didn’t retrieve it from her.
We finally got a hold of them that night. They were in Kutaisi and were planning to visit the Gelati Monastery the next day. This upended our plans and at 6am the next morning we made the two hour-drive to Kutaisi and met them. However, as a devotee to frescos, a visit to the Gelati Monastery was something I should have planned in the first place.
We said our goodbyes again and finally departed for good. We traveled around this region and spent the night at the Sazano Wine Cellar and Hotel, between the Katskhi Pillar and Chiatura. There we met Bibi who was managing the restaurant and hotel for the night. As he went to high school in Kansas, he is Georgian with a noticeable American accent. He then picked up his guitar and sang Americana songs so well, you would have thought he had been practicing them all of his life in the back of a pickup on country roads.
Two months later, his sister Mariam, who is an opera singer, came to perform at a recital of young musicians in Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall. We watched her wonderful performance and met her afterwards.
Fast forward to a few months later and Bibi and I started discussing working together on a wine business in Georgia. The result was he developed his Tsitskha Wine under the Bibi Wine Cellar label.
This experience once more taught me that seemingly bad luck almost always leads to surprisingly positive experiences. If we didn’t lose Khadija’s phone, we would have never seen the incredible Gelati Monastery, met personable Bibi and entered into the wine business!
