It all started with a podcast!!
Our trip to Georgia (the country! ) was amazing and if Georgia isn’t on your travel list it should be!
Traveling to Georgia was never on my radar until I heard an episode on a travel podcast that I love Extra Pack of Peanuts and I was SOLD. I couldn’t get to Georgia fast enough. I told Lucas that Georgia was going on the travel board! I was struck by a few things; SO much good wine, Tbilisi sounded like a great walkable city with good food and friendly towards Americans, and the Caucus mountains sounded so stunningly beautiful. And to see them meant that we got to drive the historic Georgia military highway which looked gorgeous.
Georgia is also a place that isn’t completely crowded yet with tourists and that was appealing and exotic to me.
My anticipation for seeing Georgia was so high and I was gushing about going pretty much all the time. I’ve realized that Eastern Europe fascinates me and I can’t get enough. The countries we’ve seen in this part of the world don’t have that many western tourists (yet) and are a bit off the beaten path—love it!!
We spent about a day and a half in Tbilisi and then drove up to the mountains and stayed in Kazbegi for 3 nights…literally at the feet of the Caucus mountains — gorgeous.
Here’s how we explored this gorgeous country!
We arrived late on Thursday night, after a quick 2 hour flight from Istanbul and our hotel was an easy 20 minute drive from the airport to downtown Tbilisi. We were welcomed at the airport by extremely friendly customs agents who asked where we were from and seemed to genuinely mean it when they welcomed us to their country. An employee from the car rental agency met us outside the terminal and walked us to our car, they even gave us local currency to get out of the parking garage. They expressed a bit of concern initially about us driving the crazy Georgia roads but when they learned we lived in Turkey, they were like…oh you’ll be totally fine here.
During our time in Tbilisi we stayed at the Vinotel Boutique Hotel which was an easy 10 minute walk to the heart of downtown. We chose this hotel based on the reviews, the fact that it had a wine cellar and the proximity to downtown Tbilisi. The staff was friendly and the hotel had a homey and comfortable feel to it–almost like we were in someone’s home. The breakfast was expansive and featured live piano music (and champagne!).
Our first full day, we headed out and crossed over the Bridge of Peace which connects old town Tbilisi with the new. It’s a beautiful bridge and only open to pedestrian traffic. We walked through the streets and admired the different churches and soaked in the local street vibe. Eastern European cities have such an eclectic feel to them and very much mix the old with the new as a function of their often tumultuous pasts. We hiked up to the Nikrala fortress which afforded a beautiful view of the city. Just beyond the fortress is the statue of Mother Georgia—an imposing statue and so worth the hike up to see it and the view from her perch.
Following this trek, we headed towards Freedom Square and stopped for a drink in a cute little outdoor cafe-Sunflowers. From there we headed to a restaurant recommended by the podcast Extra Pack of Peanuts..Abajuri. The outdoor vibe and the Georgian food was MOUTHWATERING. The salads are so fresh and crisp and the meats cooked to perfection. I think our two favorite dishes were the eggplant with walnut paste and the Georgia salad–an amazing mix of cucumbers, tomatoes and walnuts–but the dressing that they put on it made it so much more than your standard fresh veggie salad. The accompanying wine was also delicious.
We also stopped by the Vino Underground which was near Freedom Square for some more wine tasting–because why not.
After a wonderful day exploring this capital city, it was time to hit the Georgia Military highway and head to the mountains! On our way out of town, we took a detour to the Chateau Mukhrani We enjoyed a quick tour which went over the history of how Georgian wine came to be—archaeologists have discovered some of THE OLDEST traces of vineyards in Georgia and a tasting paired with food. And then it was time to drive. The drive up to Kazbegi took about 3 hours and it was beautiful the entire way up. This ancient highway has served as a strategic link between Europe and Asia for centuries. Prior to our trip, I read many conflicting things about this highway–how long it would take, the condition of the roads, and whether or not it was worth the drive. It was difficult to find a recent and comprehensive overview of this road. We found it to be easy to navigate, despite the fact that there were a few parts where they were resurfacing the road, we could still manage with our four door sedan–no off-roading vehicles needed.
Not to long out of town, we stopped at the Ananuri Fortress which was beautiful to get out and explore. It sits on a beautiful reservoir and there were more fuzzy hats and period clothing pieces for purchase than you could ever imagine. The next noteworthy stop on the drive is the Georgia-Russian Friendship memorial. It literally sits in the middle of beautiful snow-capped mountains. The structure and the color of this unique memorial is definitely worth pulling over to see.
We made it to Kazbegi and it was stunning. Literally at the base of the Caucus mountains with Russia just over those mountains. We stayed at the Rooms Hotel which is probably the best and only place to stay. There ARE other places to stay to include hostels, but I recommend you treat yourself and stay at this incredible hotel. The massive windows that overlook the mountains are reason enough to stay there and if you didn’t feel like exploring or hiking, you could literally stay in the hotel lobby the entire time and be perfectly content.
The most popular thing to do in Kazbegi is to hike up to Gergety Trinity Church–hike it or drive. The hike was INTENSE and difficult–although Lucas struggled not at ALL with the hike so looks like I need to do some cardio work. 🙂 The hike is picturesque and you are completely surrounded by staggeringly beautiful mountains. We celebrated at the top with a few sips of wine before exploring the church and heading back down to town. It was so fun to walk through the town leading up to the trail for the church and the road up to our hotel. Cows meandered through the streets and it was all so rustic and remote feeling. So much raw beauty and QUIET.
We loved what Georgia had to offer and recommend this beautiful country to anyone who is looking for some adventure, beauty, and something a bit off the beaten path!