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Svaneti Georgia: Hiking and Travel Guide
Isolated and wild, Svaneti Georgia is a land of enchantment that sits high in the Caucasus Mountains. Geographically cut off from the rest of the country and seemingly stuck in time, the little slice of heaven soars miles above the clouds. In Svaneti, picturesque settlements—characterized by their UNESCO-recognized Svan towers—lie sprinkled about dramatic mountains that are laced with hiking trails. It is the Georgia of glossy travel brochures, yet it is so inaccessible that very few travelers make their way to its doorstep. SVANETI REGION OF GEORGIA Svaneti is…
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Kazbegi: Gem of the Georgian Military Highway
A few years ago, I came across a photo of a mountaintop monastery in the Republic of Georgia. The monastery in the photo soared above the surrounding landscape, half hidden in a dense layer of fog. I remember being wowed by the picture and surprised that there was a whole region of the world sandwiched between Russia and the Middle East, that I’d never thought twice about visiting. I knew very little about Georgia at the time, but the small church piqued my curiosity. So in September–when the lowlands of…
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Georgia at a Glance: Two Days in Tbilisi and Sighnaghi
When I announced my intention to visit the small ex-Soviet nation of Georgia, I suppose it is understandable that many concluded I was off to explore the U.S state, rather than the country. Like nearby Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Republic of Georgia isn’t exactly the first place most Americans think of when planning their holidays. Nor is it the second. Nor the third. Some of the people I spoke with were surprised that I was willingly choosing to visit a country associated with uprisings and Soviet aggression. Others were altogether…
