Important: Wikitravel is exploring a license upgrade to CC by-sa 3.0, please give your consent or refusal here.
Svaneti
From Wikitravel
Contents
Svaneti is a high mountain region in Northwestern Georgia, home of the fierce and chivalric Svans. An extraordinary and surreal land of towers, snow, craggy peaks, wine, and dancing; where gold was fleeced, where time has not merely stopped, but rather simply never existed. The entire region is a UNESCO world heritage site.
[edit] Regions
- Lower Svaneti
- Upper Svaneti
[edit] Cities
- Mestia — the Svan capital
- Kala
- Lentekhi
- Melle
- Soli
- Ushguli — perhaps the most picturesque Svan village, at the bottom of Georgia's highest mountain, Ushba
[edit] Other destinations
[edit] Understand
[edit] Talk
Knowledge of Georgian is widespread, but the main language spoken here is another offering from the same family, the unwritten Svan language. Russian speakers can probably get by in most villages, where at least one person around should be conversational in the language. A few young people and a few guesthouse owners speak basic English.
[edit] Get in
The main road leading into the region comes from Kutaisi. You can catch a marshrutka going here from Tbilisi, which will take a full 12 hours to reach Mestia.
[edit] Get around
There is some very basic and inconvenient marshrutka service from town to town, but it's generally easier to hire a taxi to get from point A to B. But, of course, you probably shouldn't be traveling here on your own, so your guide should have a jeep to get you around. Hiking from town to town is also very much possible, and considerably more exciting.
[edit][add listing] See
In addition to the breathtaking ancient villages of Svaneti filled with imposing stone watchtowers, there are some spectacular mountain vistas of Europe's highest mountains. Look especially for Mount Ushba and Mount Shkhara.
[edit] Itineraries
[edit][add listing] Do
The culture of Svaneti is intriguing, offering some of Georgia's most solemn and mysterious dances, and the most complex polyphonic singing in the Caucasus—a tradition dating back over two millenia. There are absolutely no regular performances of any kind, and there are no performance venues besides the open air under the Greater Caucasus, or perhaps in someone's modest home. You are more likely to experience Svan performances in Tbilisi, but a really great guide may set something up with the help of local friends.
The obvious thing to do, in addition to sightseeing, is trekking and mountain climbing in the Greater Caucasus. The Shkhara and Ushba climbs are both technically challenging, and have very dangerous weather. Only experienced mountaineers should attempt the climbs. Mountain inclined dilettantes should instead consider a guided climb of Mount Kazbeg, in Georgia's Kartli region. Treks are almost always spontaneous, as there are no established trails. The thing to do is basically to just wander out of your guest house, pick a direction that looks promising, and get trekking!
The religious feast of Kvirikoba (28 July, in Kala) is the best time to visit. Since a lot of people are in the area, you can feel pretty safe in traveling here independently (although it may be difficult to find accommodations). And food at feasts in this part of the world is good!
[edit][add listing] Eat
[edit][add listing] Drink
The local wines are actually made of grapes from the Racha region, but any place is a good place to drink them! The best local wines are red, Barakoni and Khvanchkara. The latter was Stalin's favorite, though one may suppose that he was better known for the mass murder of his subjects than his oenophilia.
[edit][add listing] Sleep
There are several homestay options in both Mestia and Ushguli. Formal accommodation outside these places is non-existent, and your best bet is to ask around and see if someone can put you up for the night. The Svans are traditionally suspicious of outsiders, and having a local guide that can arrange accommodation is recommended.
[edit] Stay safe
Never truly subdued by any foolhardy invader, even the Soviets failed to subdue the fierce Svan mountain tribes who inhabit these high mountain fortress-villages. Georgians themselves claim to be a little afraid of the natives here, and you really should not visit unless on a guided tour by someone who knows what they are doing. It is not, however, too unsafe to visit, and it is the trip of a lifetime. If you have the opportunity to come here, don't pass it up.
[edit] Get out
The only easy way out of the region is back South towards Kutaisi. For the more adventurous, however, there is a very poor quality mountain road leading east to Oni in the beautiful region of Racha. If you are a hardy trekker, and know what you are doing, you could also head into upper Racha by foot, over mountains. There are routes heading North into Russia's North Caucasus and into Abkhazia, but this should not be attempted. Both borders are formally closed (although enforcement is impossible), and if caught by the Georgians or the Russians, you will find yourself in trouble and alone in a strange and often cruel land.
| This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow! |
