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SVANETI
– Travel in the Past
 “To
the natural beauties, the snowy peaks, the flowers and forests
of the Svanetian landscape, man has added something. It is
a land where every man’s house is his castle. The meadows
and the cultivated valleys are strewn with high white towers.
In one spot a single tower stands isolated, in another they
cluster in groups of fifty to eighty” - Douglas W. Freshfield,
The Exploration of the Caucasus, 1896.
A visit to Svaneti is one of Europe’s last great adventures.
The highest peaks of the Greater Caucasus tower at over 4000m,
without a single ski-lift, luxury hotel or advertising hoarding
to be seen. What you’ll find instead is excitement, breath-taking
views, pristine mountains, deep gorges, gushing rivers… and
roads which are definitely not for the nervous driver!Svaneti is a landscape of high snow-capped peaks, forested hills and spectacular
valleys. Winding roads lead to hidden villages dotted with
mediaeval watchtowers. There is something about the region
that makes you feel as if time has stood still. The people
of Svaneti are a race apart - the pace of life is different
there, they have their own language and traditions, their
own architectural styles, and for them ancient customs are
still very much a part of everyday life.
***UNESCO
World Heritage Sites
Upper
Svaneti |
HIGHLIGHTS
The Town of Mestia
The Village of Ushguli
Mount Shkhara (5068m)
Mount Ushba (4700m) |
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Mestia is the administrative centre of Svaneti and a good
place to become acquainted with the unique culture of the
region. One of the typical Svanetian watchtower houses is
open to the public, while the Museum of History & Ethnography has an excellent exhibition on Svanetian
life as well as a superb treasury of mediaeval icons and  processional crosses. With very called “family churches,”
painted inside and out with frescoes, Mestia once again reminds
us just how independent and self-sufficient the Svan people
are and how their cultural and religious practices differ
from those of the rest of Georgia.
Ushguli - Built at an astonishing 2400m above sea-level, Ushguli
is the highest permanent settlement in Europe and one of the
most scenic spots in Georgia. The village’s many mediaeval
watchtowers are set against a background of alpine meadows,
above which the great peak of Mt Shkhara towers at a height
of 5068m - the highest in Georgia. For one of the most memorable
moments of your stay in Georgia, be sure to rise early and
watch the dawn sun striking the glistening peaks of the Caucasus.
It’s a sight you’ll never forget for the rest of your life!
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