Svaneti: A Mystical And Ancient Land In Europe’s Highest Mountains

Landlocked between Georgia, Russia and the de facto independent regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, lies “the roof of Europe”, the Svaneti region. This mystical and ancient land is the highest permanently inhabited region of the Caucasus and Europe. It is home to the Svan people, who were able to keep their distinct culture intact for hundreds of years, by defeating all enemies who tried to invade this rugged, remote terrain.

Traditions and development

Not so long ago, the Svaneti region was still well off the beaten track. However, as infrastructure improved, so did tourism. More and more travelers are finding their way to Svaneti. In particular to the town of Mestia, which can get crowded during high season. Don’t let a few fellow travelers deter you though. The mountains in this area are one of a kind, with many snowy peaks reaching 3000 – 5000 meters in height. Svaneti is divided into Upper (Zemo) and Lower (Kvemo) Svaneti. Upper Svaneti offers the best hiking and climbing from June to mid-October. During the other months of the year many roads are impassible due to snowfall, and as a result some villages are covered in snow for more than six months per year.

Outside the town of Mestia, the road gets worse and travelers grow thin. Most travelers who go beyond Mestia travel to UNESCO World Heritage listed Ushguli. Ushguli is a community of four ancient villages near the foot of Georgia’s highest mountain, Mt. Shkhara. The highest village of Ushguli is located at 2100 meters above sea level, which makes it the highest permanently inhabited settlement of Europe.

The villages in the Svaneti region were too scattered to be encircled with a protective wall. So to protect the Svan people from invaders each house was built as a fortified structure with its own tower, called a “koshki”. Around 175 koshkebi, most originally built between the 9^th and 13^th centuries, are still standing. The Svan people living here fought off the Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Turks, Arabs, Mongols and many others. Therefore they were able to keep their distinct language and cultural traditions intact. For example, most Svans speak Georgian and their own, unwritten Svan language unintelligible to other Georgians. But some of these traditions, such as blood revenge, are declining as law enforcement takes hold.

What to do in Svaneti?

Hiking

There are many amazing one-day or multiple day hikes in Svaneti. The very popular multiple day hike from Mestia to Ushguli, for instance. Or the one-day hikes in Mestia to the Chalaadi glacier or the Holy Cross and Koruldi Lakes. And the one-day hike in Ushguli to the Shkhara glacier. The latter also being an amazing off-road drive.

Horseback riding

Horse riding is a great way to explore Svaneti and traditionally the primary method of transportation in the area. As a result you can rent a horse with a guide in almost every village. There are multiple day tours or one-day tours available everywhere.

Off-road driving

You can rent a 4WD vehicle with a driver in Mestia, but I really enjoyed having our own car and the ultimate freedom to explore the region independently. An amazing off-road drive is from Ushguli to the Shkhara glacier, defying rivers and glaciers on the way.

Try local cuisine

The region is known for its distinct cuisine, and especially its salt. Almost all dishes are dressed with Svan salt, which is very delicious. Make sure to try the most well-known Svan dish, Kubdari. It is bread filled with meat, mostly beef, and spices.

Learn about local culture and history

In Mestia and Ushguli there are ethnographic museums to learn more about the people living in the region and their intriguing history. The best way to get to know this mystical land and its people is to simply be there and experience village life. However, communicating with locals might be difficult, as most do not speak English. Even so a simple smile and strolling through the small streets will get you a long way.

Getting there and away

By car (the easy way)

There are multiple roads to travel into and out of the Svaneti region. The easy option is to take the paved road via Zugdidi to Mestia. We drove this road twice, and you can easily get to Mestia without a 4WD vehicle. The paved road ends a bit beyond Mestia. This means that if you want to travel to Ushguli you need to hike or you need a 4WD. It is possible to pay a driver in Mestia with a 4WD who will bring you to Ushguli, if you don’t have a 4WD yourself.

I don’t recommend trying to reach Ushguli with a 2WD, as we saw some stranded cars along the way who could not get through the mud. At the time of writing the road between Mestia and Ushguli is under construction, and it will not be too long before the whole road is paved.

It is possible to drive from Tbilisi to Ushguli (via Zugdidi) in one full day, which takes approximately 9,5 hours excluding stops. From Tbilisi to Mestia (via Zugdidi) takes approximately 7,5 hours excluding stops.

By car (the hard way)

Furthermore, it is also possible to take the Zagar pass to and from Svaneti. The zagar pass is an unpaved mountain pass at an elevation of 2620 meter above sea level. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to drive the Zagar pass ourselves. There was heavy snowfall the night before we left, making the road impassible. As far as I understand it is a very difficult road to drive, and you definitely need a 4WD vehicle. I was also told it is an extremely beautiful mountain pass, so if you are an experienced driver and up for a challenge I would definitely consider taking the Zagar pass at least once.

A great route which allows you to see a lot of both Upper and Lower Svaneti, is to travel from Zugdidi to Mestia, drive further to Ushguli, and take the Zagar pass from Ushguli to Lentekhi. From Lentekhi, you can continue to Kutaisi.

By plane

A new airport was built in Mestia in 2010, and there are almost daily flights coming in from or going to Tbilisi (Natakhtari airfield) for 65 GEL one way. From or to Kutaisi (Kutaisi International Airport), flights are available twice a week for 40 GEL one way. But I’d prefer going by 4WD car, as it allows you more freedom to explore the whole region without having to rent a driver.

By public transport

As we had a car ourselves, we did not travel with public transport outside of Tbilisi. It is possible to take a train from Tbilisi to Zugdidi, and take a mashrutka to Mestia from there. There are also minibuses leaving from Tbilisi and Kutaisi going directly to Mestia.

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What do you think about Svaneti? Would you like to go here? If you fancy a trip to Georgia, make sure to read my article on how to find a cheap flight first!