June 29 - 30 Svaneti in Georgia's northwest

 

Mountainous Svaneti

From the mountainous northeast of Georgia, today we journeyed to Georgia’s northwest, the Svaneti region which is home to the highest mountains and glaciers in the Caucasus. It is also home to some of the most enduring ancient traditions. The people of this region, the Svans, have their own unwritten language largely unintelligible to other Georgians. They are fiery people with a history of bloody family feuds and live mainly from farming cattle and pigs – and more recently tourism. It was here gold was fleeced – more on that later. It is a place where time seems irrelevant. The whole Upper Svaneti region is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We are entering the Greater Caucasus

The rivers are raging torrents

At 5068m Mt Shkhara is the highest mountain in Georgia 

It was a long drive but the scenery was wonderful.  As we headed higher into the mountains, some of the roads were washed out or there had been landslides but that all added to the thrill. Driving there was not for the fainthearted. Steep valleys mean the rivers barrel along at such a pace that the waters of merging rivers retain their original colour for long stretches. 

In the distance we could see Mt Shkhara (5068m) the highest mountain in Georgia – I was lucky to get a photo of it looming up out of the other peaks (it is often shrouded with cloud). The Svaneti is beautiful, wild and dotted with strings of medieval and still-inhabited stone towers, koshki, built in 9-13C. The Svans lived in these watchtowers along with their cattle which were housed downstairs. Many of the towers have survived thousands of years of earthquakes that continue to shake this huge mountain range almost daily.

Our first night was in a guesthouse in Mestia. The food was delicious and always accompanied by fresh tomato and cucumber salad as well as fresh yogurt and kefir (a fermented milk made overnight).

The first koshki we sighted

Old and new stand side by side

Outside Mestia before heading further north

The summer flowers were glorious

Next morning we set off north again. We were heading for Ushguli, the highest permanent settlement in Europe. Along the way we stopped at a beautiful old koshki, Lover's Tower. It is perched over a raging torrent and set amongst a field of glorious wildflowers.  The story tells that this is where a young woman waited for her soldier lover to return from the north where he had been sent to fight in the mountains. Sadly he never returned.  Lindsay and Nino climbed the ladder to have a look inside while I wandered amongst the wildflowers. I had a 'chat' with the man guarding the place and came away with a small piece of crystal quartz from the river.

A rather poignant and romantic spot

Lindsay and Nino climbed the different levels inside this tower 

Two happy lovers outside Lover's Tower

It was a delightful three-hour drive to reach Ushguli which is at the end of the road at the head of the Enguri Gorge near the foot of Mt Shkhara, the highest summit of the Greater Caucasus mountains. Ushguli is a community of four small villages of about 70 families (about 200 people), enough to support a small school. The area is snow-covered for 6 months of the year, and often the road to Mestia, its nearest neighbour 50 Km away, is impassable. Typically Svaneti defensive tower houses are found throughout the villages as well as other areas in Svaneti. 

Approaching Ushguli

One of the communities of Ushguli

On the outskirts of Ushguli, under the protection of a towering hill, stands the ancient Lamaria Church.  Christianity and paganism sit side by side in Georgian history.  The belief is that the name Lamaria was derived from the Christian, Mary mother of Jesus.  However, Lamaria was a goddess in Georgian mythology, specifically of the Svans. She was goddess of the hearth, protector of cattle, women, and the fertility of a village's grain fields.  It was a special place and its isolation added to the magic. 

The Lamaria Church 

There was only one priest there that day

Strange symbols adorn metal doors and statues

Frescoes worn with age

Ancient frescoes still adorn some of the walls and ceilings. Some are worn or have been burnt and there is even evidence of graffiti. The priests are a dusty black silent presence and engender a feeling of reverence.  It was a special experience to visit this tranquil church deep in the mountains. Gia our driver had never visited this place and so it was a special experience for him as well.  We felt pleased to have been able to share it with him.  

We wandered through one of the village settlements which was undergoing some repairs.  They have little in the way of services, but the region is growing in popularity.  The current public toilet is a bench drop over the stream - it was not particularly 'comfortable'! Maybe something that could do with a wee bit of 'upgrading'. But many of the old watch towers are being renovated as more and more tourists come into the region each year. Yet still you walk between houses along with the cattle over rough stones and through mud. A romantic, charming albeit rugged setting.

Visiting another of the Ushguli communities

Nino stopped for a chat with a local

We picked our way through rubble, cows and chooks

We said a sad farewell to Ushguli

What goes up must eventually come down and it was time for us to make tracks back to Mestia. The upper Svaneti offers amazing walking and climbing opportunities and on the way back we passed quite a number of people either walking or cycling, heading up into the high peaks and subalpine meadows to trek, bike or horse ride.  

I loved this region! On the way back to Mestia where we were staying for the night, we stopped by the side of the road for a picnic which the hotel had prepared for us. It was a simple salad and cheese but tasted just so delicious in the open air with mountains staring down on us.  The Georgian food - the cheeses and breads - are so delicious. We ate yogurt each morning made fresh each day and sampled wonderful fresh cheeses. Gebzhalia, my favourite, is an ancient dish from this western region made from sulguni cheese, a brined Georgian cheese, and served swimming in warm sour cream or milk with mint. And Khachapuri is to die for!  This is a traditional Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread and is served both in restaurants and as street food and as an indication of its popularity, it is included in the list of the intangible cultural heritage of Georgia.