From Wikitravel

South Ossetia is a separatist region of Georgia, mostly located in Shida Kartli.

[edit] Regions

[edit] Cities

• Tskhinvali — the "capital" and the largest town in the region, home to the unrecognized government of South Ossetia
• Alkhagori — a small town under Georgian control, home to the Lomisi Brewery; relatively safe to visit
• Java — nominally the administrative center of Georgia's Java district, but not under Georgian control

[edit] Other destinations

[edit] Understand

South Ossetia is easily the worst region of Georgia to visit. In a country full of historic and cultural monuments, there is surprisingly little to see in South Ossetia. And it is hard to go see what little there is, owing to the ongoing separatist conflict between the Ossetes and the Georgian central government and to the security vacuum the conflict has created. Sure, the mountains are beautiful, but they are just as beautiful in the regions to the west and east (Racha and Kazbegi Region) where there is far less danger of being kidnapped or caught in crossfire. And if Ossetian culture is what you want, head to North Ossetia. Most of South Ossetia's population has fled there to escape the conflict and it is a good deal safer than South Ossetia, albeit it too is not that safe.

South Ossetia was an autonomous region of the Georgian SSR under the Soviet Union. In 1989, amid rising nationalist sentiment throughout the Soviet Union, the government of the South Ossetian Autonomous Region passed a resolution to merge with the North Ossetian ASSR, in Russia, but the Georgian SSR government promptly overturned this resolution. In 1991, the president of Georgia declared that Russian would no longer be an administrative language of the new country, and that Georgian would thus be the sole administrative language. Alarmed Ossetes pressed for official status for Ossetian and either greater regional autonomy or full secession from the Georgian Republic to join with North Ossetia, in Russia. Nationalist tensions escalated on both sides until violent conflict broke out between the formerly neighborly ethnicities, resulting in a full-scale war between Ossetian separatists and the Georgian national government. Under Russian pressure, the Georgian central government agreed to a ceasefire, policed by Russian peacekeepers, which theoretically holds to the present. But the situation is in reality much more fluid and there is persistent low-level violence between the two sides.

And just so you sound sophisticated: a person is an Ossete (ah-SEET), the ethnicity and the language are Ossetian (ah-SEH-tee-ahn), and the land is Ossetia (ah-SEH-tee-ah).

[edit] Talk

While most Ossetians speak Georgian, they may be hostile to travelers trying to use the language. It is better to try and communicate your needs in either Ossetian, if you know it, or Russian.

[edit] Get in

Buses and marshrutkas leave daily for Tskhinvali from Tbilisi's Didube market, be sure to get to the bus/marshrutka early, as they can fill up or leave early. Hourly buses also head north from Gori's bus station, which go at least as far as Tskhinvali, if not further on to Russia.

A marshrutka from Tbilisi to Alkhagori should be possible to find at the Didube market. From Kaspi's bus station, there should be at least one marshrutka heading north to Alkhagori each day.

[edit] Get around

[edit][add listing] See

[edit] Itineraries

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit][add listing] Eat

Ossetian food is delicious, a Caucasian cuisine similar to, but significantly different from Georgian cuisine. Be sure to feast on Ossetian pie, a dish similar to khachapuri, but with meat and mushrooms instead of cheese.

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit] Stay safe

South Ossetia is probably the most dangerous region of Georgia and is best avoided. Visitors are advised to prepare for traveling in a war zone. The conflict is basically an ongoing low-intensity war and it is possible to get caught in the crossfire. More alarming, however, is that neither the Ossetian government in Tskhinvali nor the Georgian government is able to maintain security in the region (unlike in Abkhazia, where the separatist government provides some security). Weapons are all over the place, often in the hands of bandits, other minor criminal outfits, splinter rebel groups, and ordinary, fearful civilians. Foreign visitors have disappeared in South Ossetia, never to be heard of again.

The Ossetes are understandably jumpy and may arrest travelers taking photographs of, well, anything. It is also a bad idea to voice your political opinions regarding the conflict—better to listen to locals' perspectives and to be vaguely sympathetic.

If kidnapped, or taken hostage, it is best to remain passively cooperative. Your captors may well seem friendly (for them, the region's chaos is daily life), and you are likely to be released, but don't count on this.

If you are still intent on traveling to South Ossetia, the safest (and probably most rewarding) way to do it is to take a bus or marshrutka straight to Tskhinvali and to confine your visit to Tskhinvali itself. The capital is pretty well under control of the Ossetian government and should be fine for an overnight trip. But be sure to keep appraised of the current political situation before traveling!

[edit] Get out

• The Russian border crossing at the Roki Tunnel is not a good place to be. Officials on both sides are exceptionally corrupt and fairly lawless. Only Russian and Georgian citizens are likely to be allowed through.
• While this route is not recommended (due to security concerns) it is possible to take a mountainous road northwest from Tskhinvali all the way to Oni in Racha.

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