Mari's Guidebook
Sightseeing
Hatsvali Ski Lift is a great place in every season, cable cars will take you to the top of the resort ad the landscape from there is stunningly beautiful. you can clearly see the mountain Ushba.
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Hatsvali Ski Lift
Hatsvali Ski Lift is a great place in every season, cable cars will take you to the top of the resort ad the landscape from there is stunningly beautiful. you can clearly see the mountain Ushba.
Tetnuldi Ski Resort is the best place for skiing in winter. It is 3100 meters above sea level. It is 15kms far from Mestia.
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Skigebiet Tetnuldi
Tetnuldi Ski Resort is the best place for skiing in winter. It is 3100 meters above sea level. It is 15kms far from Mestia.
Mazeri is the most famous village in Becho Community, Upper Svaneti.
It is about 20 km from Mestia in an amazing valley of Dolra river, 1600 m above sea, and surrounded by wide green meadows and snow-capped mountain peaks. Mazeri now is the base for several most beautiful Svaneti trekking routes.
This land used to belong to the Princess Dadeshkeliani. There was a 10-storey tower that the owners blew up in 1921. The ruins can still be found near the village.
Tourism in Svaneti probably began to develop from this village. Here, thru Becho pass, many tourists and climbers arrived, as this pass is the most convenient for the transition from Russia to Svaneti. Besides, a lot of climbers who come to conquer Ushba stayed in Becho
Mazeri
Mazeri is the most famous village in Becho Community, Upper Svaneti.
It is about 20 km from Mestia in an amazing valley of Dolra river, 1600 m above sea, and surrounded by wide green meadows and snow-capped mountain peaks. Mazeri now is the base for several most beautiful Svaneti trekking routes.
This land used to belong to the Princess Dadeshkeliani. There was a 10-storey tower that the owners blew up in 1921. The ruins can still be found near the village.
Tourism in Svaneti probably began to develop from this village. Here, thru Becho pass, many tourists and climbers arrived, as this pass is the most convenient for the transition from Russia to Svaneti. Besides, a lot of climbers who come to conquer Ushba stayed in Becho
Sightseeing
Ushguli is UNESCO world heritage site, the highest permanently inhabited village in Europe, located in Svaneti, at the feet of Shkhara, one of the highest Caucasian summits. It takes 3 hours to get there and 3 hours to come back. You can hire a private car which costs 200-180 GEL, or cheaper way to ho to Ushguli is going by Mini Bus, you can buy tickets,which cost 40 GEL 1 person. The driver of mini bus will wait for you there, because price of the ticket includes both ways.
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Ushguli
Ushguli is UNESCO world heritage site, the highest permanently inhabited village in Europe, located in Svaneti, at the feet of Shkhara, one of the highest Caucasian summits. It takes 3 hours to get there and 3 hours to come back. You can hire a private car which costs 200-180 GEL, or cheaper way to ho to Ushguli is going by Mini Bus, you can buy tickets,which cost 40 GEL 1 person. The driver of mini bus will wait for you there, because price of the ticket includes both ways.
Chalaadi Glacier is another most visited destination in Mestia. If you dont have your/organized car, taking taxi to the bridge is must as there is nothing to see till you reach there. From the bridge its 2-3km hike 1 way, first through the forest path going up, then there is harder section for completely inexperienced hikers when you need to walk over huge stones to make it to the glacier. The area is very beautiful, you see how the river is born in the fastest way ever, but you need to be careful as rocks may fall from glacier.
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Chalaadi Glacier
Chalaadi Glacier is another most visited destination in Mestia. If you dont have your/organized car, taking taxi to the bridge is must as there is nothing to see till you reach there. From the bridge its 2-3km hike 1 way, first through the forest path going up, then there is harder section for completely inexperienced hikers when you need to walk over huge stones to make it to the glacier. The area is very beautiful, you see how the river is born in the fastest way ever, but you need to be careful as rocks may fall from glacier.
Koruldi Lakes is a hiking, jeep, horseriding, skitouring etc area from Mestia. Jeepride may be hard and scary especially for foreigners so better to trust your legs. First of all, you should decide how much you would like to hike: 1) Just to Cross (viewpoint towards Mestia) its only 2 hr (2.5hr) hike 1 way (ascents) from 1400m to 2150m, 2) more relaxing 2 (2.5) more hours is to the Koruldi lakes (2750m). Here ordinary hikers route ends. 3) Then if you are crazy enough you can hike to the ridge 3400m to see the best views of Ushba summit. This is recommended only with guide and experience. Some sections are steep and harder so 3-4 hr more will be needed. from 1400 to 3400m of course I dont recommend hiking in 1 day up and down. I would suggest using car to the lakes then hike, or camping at the lakes, or sleeping in cloudbase hut which is near the lakes. Generally Koruldi lakes are justifying 1 important fact about alpine lakes – Reflection – double view of the mountains in the lake are better than the lake itself.
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Koruldi Lakes
Koruldi Lakes is a hiking, jeep, horseriding, skitouring etc area from Mestia. Jeepride may be hard and scary especially for foreigners so better to trust your legs. First of all, you should decide how much you would like to hike: 1) Just to Cross (viewpoint towards Mestia) its only 2 hr (2.5hr) hike 1 way (ascents) from 1400m to 2150m, 2) more relaxing 2 (2.5) more hours is to the Koruldi lakes (2750m). Here ordinary hikers route ends. 3) Then if you are crazy enough you can hike to the ridge 3400m to see the best views of Ushba summit. This is recommended only with guide and experience. Some sections are steep and harder so 3-4 hr more will be needed. from 1400 to 3400m of course I dont recommend hiking in 1 day up and down. I would suggest using car to the lakes then hike, or camping at the lakes, or sleeping in cloudbase hut which is near the lakes. Generally Koruldi lakes are justifying 1 important fact about alpine lakes – Reflection – double view of the mountains in the lake are better than the lake itself.
Svanian Cuisine
Svaneti is known for some of the tasty food in Georgian cuisine, with kubdari being widespread in the country. This beef or pork-and-beef filled meat pie is seasoned with onions and Svaneti salt – a mixture of dry coriander, cumin, red pepper, fennel, salt, and garlic.
Tash-M-Jab or Tashmijabi as it’s often pronounced, is a dish made from boiled potatoes and cheese, resulting in stretchy mashed potatoes. The more it stretches, the better it is.
Other staples of Svan cuisine include fetvraal, Svanetian khachapuri with millet flour added to the cheese filling and kartoplaar, another khachapuri like pie but with potato and cheese filling.
Svanetia Chishdvari also lade from Cheese.
Cafe laila is one of the most famous cafes in Mestia, lots of tourists and local people use to go there after tiring day, they offer delicious food and georgian folk music, dancing show at the evening.
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Cafe Laila
Zugdidi Jvari Mestia LasdiliCafe laila is one of the most famous cafes in Mestia, lots of tourists and local people use to go there after tiring day, they offer delicious food and georgian folk music, dancing show at the evening.
restaurant Prince Jafraan is a great to spend your spare time, to feel real georgian food and folk music. they have brilliant performances at the evenings. it is located in the center, next to police
Bar-restaurant Prince Jafraan
ბეთლემის ქუჩაrestaurant Prince Jafraan is a great to spend your spare time, to feel real georgian food and folk music. they have brilliant performances at the evenings. it is located in the center, next to police
Actually Cafe Erri Kava does not expresses the character of local cuisine, bit I like this cafe and not only me as well. it is run by polish girls and they have the best coffee in Mestia.
ERTI KAVA
Actually Cafe Erri Kava does not expresses the character of local cuisine, bit I like this cafe and not only me as well. it is run by polish girls and they have the best coffee in Mestia.
Ailama
13 Zugdidi Jvari Mestia LasdiliTrattoria Svaneti
Museums
One of the main sights of Svaneti is the House museum of Margiani which is in Mestia in an ancient Svaneti’s housing estate. This museum is property of a known family of Margiani. They also possessed 8 towers from which remained only 4. Height of towers and their quantity spoke about wealth and force of a sort.
Margiani's House Museum
One of the main sights of Svaneti is the House museum of Margiani which is in Mestia in an ancient Svaneti’s housing estate. This museum is property of a known family of Margiani. They also possessed 8 towers from which remained only 4. Height of towers and their quantity spoke about wealth and force of a sort.
The museum was established in 1936 and initially housed a small collection but in 1948 it benefited from an expedition to Svaneti, headed by the famous Georgian art historian Giorgi Chubinashvili, that collected illuminated manuscripts, icons and other antiquities from the Svanetian population and from Svaneti churches. The material collected by the expedition forms the core of the museum’s collection.
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Museum of History and Ethnography
The museum was established in 1936 and initially housed a small collection but in 1948 it benefited from an expedition to Svaneti, headed by the famous Georgian art historian Giorgi Chubinashvili, that collected illuminated manuscripts, icons and other antiquities from the Svanetian population and from Svaneti churches. The material collected by the expedition forms the core of the museum’s collection.