Svaneti

Svaneti has a lot to offer in every season of the year. There are a number of different options for tourists such as visiting the mountains, lakes or a ski resorts in winter. 

1. Mestia is the regional capital of Svaneti. It is the main cultural, administrative and tourist centre for the Svaneti region. Apart from a renovated road, modern infrastructure and a new airport, Mestia offers tourists an opportunity to see the historic medieval Svaneti towers, old churches, medieval monumentsforts and the Mestia Historical-Ethnographic Museum which preserves unique icons and manuscripts. The main street is more like a city, with most guest houses, hotels and eating venues located along this street.The surrounding area is rural with domestic livestock.The villages in this area are usually located along the Mulkhra River. 

2. Hatsvali is a ski resort near Mestia. It has a ski lift and a slope. The ski pass is 5 lari for locals and between 20 and 25 lari for foreigners. So maybe ask a local, e.g. your taxi driver, to buy the pass for you. Surrounded by mountains and the peak of Ushba, it provides stunning views of the landscape. The area is worth experiencing in winter as well as in summer. Hatsvali hosts a beautiful restaurant Zuruldi at a height of 2340 meters. Here you can relax, drink wine, eat amazing Svaneti cuisine and look out onto the heavenly landscape. 

3.Tetnuldi is a beautiful mountain peak in the central part of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range. It is the second highest after the most popular ski resort in Georgia – Gudauri (Mtskheta-Mtianeti region). The slopes of the mountain are above 3,000 meters. The most prominent glacier on the mountain is called Adishi. Tetnuldi is a very special Georgian resort with reasonable prices and ample opportunities for skiing. The skiing area in Tetnuldi is located on the northern, western and south-western slopes of Mount Tetnuldi (4858 m), at altitudes between 1600 m and 3165 m.The mountain ski trail is the longest one (9,5 km.) in the South Caucasus.

4. You should not leave Svaneti without purchasing Svanetian salt. Svanetian salt (Svanuri Marili) is a traditional spicy salt created in this region. It is not an ordinary salt but a mixture of salt, is a mixture of salt , pepper, different spices and dried garlic. Svaneti is known for its variety of plants which also adds to the salt’s exquisite fragrance. The salt can be used in any kind of meal from soups to salads and /or with vegetables. Svans have their unique way of producing salt and tourists are advised to buy it in the region.

5. The Enguri dam is located near Georgia’s north-western town of Jvari. The dam is the world’s second highest concrete arch dam, with a height of 271.5 metres and 728 metres wide. The Dam was conceived before World War I by Georgian public figure Niko Nikoladze. The Enguri Dam is not only a hydroelectric station, but also one of the most beautiful and breathtaking sights of Georgia. It is located on the same main road as the World Cultural Heritage Monument Zemo Svaneti (Upper Svaneti).This place is very attractive to tourists and locals alike.It is soon going to be one of the most attractive tourist zones in Georgia. A scientific centre, open concert area and facilities for extreme sport such as zip-line, high lookout spots and cable transport are scheduled to be added to the area. Tourists will also be able to travel deep down into the dam via a 280 metre elevator.