Georgia

Quick Facts

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Local name

Sakartvelo

Capital

Tbilisi

Government

Republic

Nationality

Georgian

Population

4 394 700^[1]

Languages

Georgian, Abkhaz, Ossetian, Russian, Armenian, Azeri

Religions

Christianity (Orthodox), Islam

Currency

Georgian Lari (GEL)

Calling Code

+995

Time Zone

UTC+4

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Introduction

ODD ABANDONED STAND

© All Rights Reserved Vin Jones

Georgia (Georgian: საქართველო, transliterated as Sakartvelo) is a land of considerable natural diversity, flanked by the Black Sea on its west and the Greater Caucasus Mountains on the north. Warm seaside towns like Batumi are complete with palms and cypresses, exuding a delightful exotic feel, while further inland, the lush Kakheti region and its many miles of vineyards is world-renowned for the quality of its wine.

It seems appropriate, then, that Georgian culture be as diverse and distinctive as the Georgian landscape. Long recognized by major civilizations as a strategic location, the region passed through Mongolian, Turkish, Greek, Arabian, Persian and Russian hands. The influences of these cultures have shaped modern-day Georgia into a perplexing land, where East and West meet and fuse.

Brief History

Geography

Although Georgia may seem as a relatively small country, it is big on geographical diversity. It has its own seashore, with the cities of Batumi in Adjara and Sokhumi in Abkhazia being hotspots in summer. The northern regions are as mountainous as could be, with eternal snow on the highest summits, like Mount Kazbeg, which rises over 5000 metres above the central fertile valley of Georgia. This mountains are not always easily accesible though and some areas are better not visited without a local guide who knows the people.

Another typical part of Georgia is the wine region in the northeast and east of the country, in particular Kakheti, where different sort of grapes are grown, waiting to become wine eventually and join a good Georgian party.

Georgia shares international borders with Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey.

Regions

Georgia is divided into nine regions, two autonomous republics, and one city.

• Abkhazia (autonomous republic)
• Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
• Guria
• Adjara (autonomous republic)
• Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
• Imereti Kutaisi
• Samtskhe-Javakheti
• Shida Kartli
• Mtskheta-Mtianeti
• Kvemo Kartli
• Kakheti
• Tbilisi (city)

Cities

• Tbilisi - The capital city.
• Batumi
• Kutaisi
• Gori
• Sokhumi
• Telavi

Sights and Activities

Military Highway and Kazbegi area

Tsminda Sameba Church, Kazbegi

© All Rights Reserved Utrecht

Travelling north of Tbilisi towards the border with Russia, the landscapes are getting more beautiful around every bend. After about two thirds of the 3 hour trip to Kazbegi, you can enjoy the Khada Valley and its ski resort of Gudauri. Kazbegi itself is a small town, not far from the border with Russia which is closed by the way to foreigners. Its setting is as pretty as you can imagine, with snowcapped Mount Kazbeg (5030 m) towering above the town. Being here feels a bit strange as well, because you are actually very close to areas where, to say the least, safety matters are not what you would call very fine. North and northeast is Chechnya and (north)west are North and South Ossetia, the former in Russia, the latter in Georgia itself. Kazbegi remains safe though and you will very welcome in this place. A great day hike with some spare time on the top, is the walk towards Tsminda Sameba, the hilltop Georgian church, with great views across the mountain ranges on either side of the valley where Kazbegi is in.

Svaneti

Ushguli is one of the oldest settlements in Europe and a visit to this area is a step back in time. Take a guide and don't wander around yourselfthe. The Upper Svaneti region of the Caucasus is one the Unesco World Heritage List because of its exceptional example of mountain scenery with medieval-type villages and tower-houses and the village of Chazhashi has more than 200 of these very unusual houses, which were used both as dwellings and as defence posts against the invaders of the region.

Kutaisi

Kutaisi is home to two Unesco sights including the 11th century Bagrati Cathedral and the slightly younger Gelati Monastery with its mosaics and paintings. Both represent the highly developed society of the medieval location of today's Georgia.

Gori

It might not be a beautiful town, but it has some historic significance which has to do with some of the most famous persons in Georgia throughout history, Josef Dzhugashvili, better know probably as Josef Stalin. He was born here and it's one of the last places on earth where his statue can be found, lonely on the central square. Another major attraction is the Stalin museum, with Stalin's train carriage next to it. Apart from this rather disputable historical significance, Gori has a very nice fortress on top of a hill as well, overlooking the town and further north towards the mountains.

Mtskheta

Mtskheta and its historic churches are on the Unesco list as well. The former capital of Georgia has outstanding examples of medieval religious architecture in the Caucasus.

Other Sights and Activities

• Kakheti - Being beautiful and being the main area for grape growing, this is a part of Georgia not to be missed, especially for wine lovers.
• Adjara - A bit different from the rest of Georgia, this islamic and subtropical part of Georgia is very welcoming and beautiful with nice weather almost year round. The capital Batumi is worth a visit as well.
• Vardzia and David Gareja - cave monasteries dating back to the 12th and 6th century respectively with greats views overlooking a large river gorge and the desert respectively.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Because of its geographical diversity, Georgia has both distinct season as huge differences between the different areas. In general though, it is best to avoid Georgia in the wintermonths of November through March and the hot summer months of July and August, when Tbilisi can become an oven. To get the best of both, that is having nice and warm weather in the valley and along the Black Sea both also nice weather in the mountains withouth the snow, visit Georgia in late spring (late May to June) and early autumn (September to early October). It is usually dry in these months with some showers to cool things off now and then, and you can both enjoy the beach and hiking in the Caucasus Mountains.

If you do visit Georgia in winter or summer, bear in mind though that temperatures can be as low as -25 °C or as high as 42 °C respectively. Batumi has a more temperate climate, but it is more humid as well. And of course, in winter you can enjoy some good skiing, especially in the area around Gudauri, north of Tbilisi on the Military Highway.

Getting There

By Plane

Tbilisi International Airport (IATA: TBS; ICAO: UGTB) is the main gateway of the country. There are connections to most neighbouring countries, but not many with the rest of Europe or even further away in Asia. The main connections are those with Moscow and cities in Germany, served mainly by Aeroflot. Also, there are connections with Istanbul via Turkish Airlines. With Georgia being more and more popular lately, more connections are being linked with Tbilisi.

By Train

There are train services from Yerevan, Armenia and Baku, Azerbaijan to the capital city Tbilisi. .

By Car

By Bus

There are connections to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, either by bus or by marshrutka, the Georgian minibus. Buses travel as far as Istanbul which can take up to 2 full days to get there. Currently, the border with Russia is closed to foreigners and travelling across this border is not recommended anyway. Also, you can not enter Abkhazia from Georgia, only from Russia.

By Boat

There are ferries from the Black Sea ports of Poti and Batumi, mainly to Sochi in Russia to Ukraine, although occasionally there are crossings further away to Bulgaria (Burgas) and to Trabzon in Turkey, mainly in summer. Sokhumi has a port with ferry crossings to Sochi only, not with other ports in Georgia.

Getting Around

By Plane

Airzena Georgian Airlines flies to and from Tbilisi, Butani, Kutaisi and Senaki.

By Train

There are several train connections in Georgia which are worth it. The main line runs from Batumi in the west to Tbilisi in the east and from there it runs further to Azerbaijan. It also stops in Kutaisi and Gori.

By Car

Renting a car is a possibility and you can even bring your own car if you are an EU citizen. Still, it is best to rent a car with a driver, either for smaller trips or extended multiple day trips to places like Svaneti in the central northwest. Some roads are in good condition but driving skills of locals and a lack of fuel can make things just a bit harder.

By Bus

Although there are larger buses that might of use when you travelling between the bigger cities, getting around Georgia is best down by 'marshrutkas' (minvans) which ply most routes on a more frequent basis than buses. They leave when full and are a great way of meeting the friendly locals.

By Boat

Probably the only option to travel around by boat is when you want to go out on the Black Sea, but services between Batumi and Poti (the two main ports) are erratic to say the least.

Red Tape

Georgia has been easying there visa regulations during the last years. This means that, together with the former Soviet Union republics, travellers from most countries in Europe and several other countries don't need a visa anymore to enter the country. But as things change very often in this part of the world, check specific situation for your country before you go.

Money

See also: Money Matters

The official currency is the Georgian Lari (ISO code: GEL). One lari is divided into 100 tetri. Banknotes come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 lari. Coins in circulation are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 tetri, 1 and 2 lari.

Work

Study

Language

Georgian, together with a few other languages spoken in Georgia and Northeastern Turkey, belongs to a unique language family, one out of about a dozen in the whole world. It is one of the oldest languages in the world as well, and the alphabet, containing 33 letters, is not related to any other. Like the cyrillic alphabet, it is not that difficult to learn the letters, so try it to get the best out of your travellers. Also try some basic Georgian words, which can cause wonders and at least a smile on the faces of the local people.

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

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