I am the only member of my family born with this undying love for the mountains. Rest all of them loves the ocean. I always wonder whether it is the grandeur of the mountains, their magnificence or merely their might, they always happen to fascinate me.
I have lived my entire life in Muscat, Oman – a lovely city surrounded by rough and barren mountains but when I visited the small town of Kazbegi in Georgia, sitting in the lap of snowcapped giants, that’s exactly when my love story with a mountain town began.
Its 11 AM in the morning and after spending three exciting days of exploring Tbilisi, we (me and my best friend) are now finally set out for a journey further towards the countryside of Georgia. The agenda for today is to make some pit stops along the towns of Ananuri, Gudauri and to potentially see if there is any possibility to paraglide in Gudauri or not. Quite an interesting itinerary, right?
As we started our drive on the Georgia Military Highway, the hustle-bustle of Tbilisi left behind us and now the landscape is all about endless fast-flowing rivers flowing from the giant green mountains. Been born and grown-up in a metropolitan city, I have always been a fan of the countryside life, cute small towns hugged by the mountains. And this is exactly how Georgia looked to me at that moment.
After a short stop in Ananuri, the next leg of the journey is an uphill climb towards the town of Gudauri and now I can feel the mountains getting closer to me. Of course, I cannot get any happier! A little more than an hour in the drive, we are now at the take-off spot on the mountain harnessing to jump off from the mountain edge. Adrenaline is definitely running in my blood but what is more fascinating me is the surreal scenery of lush green Caucasus Mountain range glittering in the afternoon sun.
Today, for the very first time in my life I saw the world 2000 meters below my feet
After paragliding, starts the final leg of our journey towards the tiny town of Kazbegi in Stepantsminda. But before we dive further in the story, let’s get a bit familiar with my favorite mountain town and what to do in Kazbegi in Georgia.
Where Is Kazbegi?
Lying at an elevation of 1,740m, Kazbegi, also known as Stepantsminda is a town in the Mtskheta region of Georgia. Just a short 10km away from the Russian border, Kazbegi is famous for its scenic landscape, natural water springs, and adventure activities. Visiting Kazbegi in Georgia is one of the most popular day trips for the tourists coming from Tbilisi as it is just a short three hours’ drive from the capital city. Much like the rest of Georgia, Kazbegi has a lot of influence from Russia and it is an important trade center between both the countries.
It is 5 PM in the evening now and with increasing hunger, we are finally entering Kazbegi. Though I am overwhelmed by the natural beauty around me, at this moment, all my body wanted is just food! Georgia have really diverse cuisine, however, getting halal (Muslim) food especially in small towns like Kazbegi is next to impossible. Therefore, despite starving, I only settled with a vegetarian soup with some local bread in one of the few small café cum restaurants in the town center of Kazbegi. Right outside the restaurant, I can see a lot of tourist jeeps and vans setting out towards Mt. Kazbegi which is right behind them.
Hiking/Visiting Mt. Kazbegi
If you’re wondering what to do in Kazbegi, then Mt. Kazbegi answers the most part of that question. Mt. Kazbegi is the highest mountain peak in Stepantsminda. One of the most popular things to do in Kazbegi includes hiking Mt. Kazbegi. There are basically two different routes on the mountain. The first and the common one is to hike to the Gergeti Trinity Church, which is the only structure on the mountain. It takes a short two hours hike to reach the church. However, some adventure junkies opt to summit the mountain, which takes two to three days depending on the physical ability of the hikers. In winters, the place turns into a great spot for skiing in Georgia!
Gergeti Trinity Church In Kazbegi
Visiting the Gergeti Trinity Church is the main activity to do in Kazbegi. Termed as the lonely church, the Gergeti Trinity Church is a 6th century abandoned church, which now stands alone on the mountain. Hikers and tourists visit the church to get a 360-degree panoramic view of the town from the top. The ruins of the church can be clearly seen; however, still, a major part of it is well-preserved. Just like all the other churches and chapels in Georgia, in order to enter the Gergeti Trinity Church, men should wear long trousers and the women are required to wear a headscarf with clothes covering below their knees.
Now it is half-past five in the evening and with not a filling or scrumptious lunch, we have to accomplish our next and final agenda of the day – to visit the Gergeti Trinity Church on Mt. Kazbegi. I can feel the tiredness and low energy in my body, but that gorgeous mountain, in fact, the entire scenery of Kazbegi is fueling me to explore it more and to just make that last push towards the Gergeti Trinity Church. Even with not-so-optimal energy, deep down inside I am satisfied that this visit to the Gergeti Trinity Church will be definitely worth it!
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Obviously, at this point, by no means I want to do that two hours hike to the church, so the best alternative is to rent a jeep with a driver, who will take us to the top just in thirty minutes. Not wasting any more time, we are now in the jeep and all set to embark our short ascend on the mountain just for 50 Georgian Lari (USD 17).
And a few moments later, we are on the dusty gravel road leading to the mountain top surrounded by tall trees. They seem like pine trees to me but I am not sure about it. Nonetheless, they look beautiful! As the sun has now started to set, I can see some hikers hiking down towards the town making me curious to reach the top before the golden hour ends.
It really didn’t take that long though. Thirty minutes, and I am now standing face-to-face with the Gergeti Trinity Church. The church is not in a well-maintained shape; however, it still stands strong bearing the cold winds of Kazbegi in Georgia for centuries.
A quick stroll in the church later, I find myself standing at the viewpoint on Mt. Kazbegi overlooking the cute little town and the surrounding mountains. “How beautiful is this”, is all I am saying to myself. I don’t remember how long I stood there, romanticizing with the mind-blowing view but now I can see the sun shying away behind the mountain casting a shadow on the town below, and hence I know, it is about time to get down to the town.
And like that, we are back to the town anticipating some much-needed rest after a long day.
Practical Information About Kazbegi
Kazbegi in Georgia is a very small town with a tiny town center which comprises of a handful of restaurants and a couple of bars. There is a small grocery store as well to buy some snacks for the journey going back to Tbilisi or elsewhere in Georgia. I didn’t happen to see any ATM in Kazbegi and all the payments made were done in cash, therefore, carry enough cash with you if visiting Kazbegi. Moreover, unlike big cities, everything closes by 10 PM in Kazbegi. Therefore, if you’re planning to eat out in the night, make sure to be at a restaurant before 10 otherwise you will end up without dinner much similar to what happened with us.
Book Your Stay In Kazbegi Now – Check Latest Prices & Compare Hotel Reviews
Tired after the full day of traveling from Tbilisi to Kazbegi, my short nap turned into more than a couple of hours long. I wake up a bit disoriented and obviously very hungry by now asking my friend to go for dinner. “It is 11 PM now”, said my friend, leaving me surprised how long I have slept. Not knowing that all the restaurants are closed by this time, we ventured out of our hotel which is a short 10mins walk away from the town center with all the restaurants.
Facing the unpleasant reality that we might end up sleeping with empty stomachs, while we make our way back to the hotel, we spotted a small restaurant with a sign outside saying ‘Open’. The next moment, two super hungry humans are in the restaurant but the only thing left on the menu is omelet and lemonade. Nothing fancy, but it did feel like a gourmet meal to my hungry self!
Even though our dinner plan didn’t go as we wanted it to be, a late-night stroll on the small single lane street of Kazbegi with cold breeze and snowcapped mountains in the backdrop was quite a treat!
And like that, with a heavy heart the next morning I bid adieu to the lovely town. I didn’t spend enough time in Kazbegi to explore it deeper, but that short romance with the mighty mountains surrounding Kazbegi surely holds a special place in my heart…
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Looking for more information on traveling to Georgia? Check out my other Georgia Travel posts:
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i’ve been seeing a lot more buzz around Georgia – and I see why! It’s gorgeous!! Definitely going to have to visit in the future!
I am sure you’re going to love it! It is beautiful
I’ve never really thought about visiting Georgia but once again I’m surprised by the beauty of the landscapes! I’m from the same kind of family haha, I do love being near the sea though, but having the mountains also near makes it absolutely perfect!
I’ve been wanting to properly visit Georgia for awhile. Have only been to Abkhazia so far. Kazbegi looks and sounds lovely!
This is amazing! I got curious to open the map to locate this country and it is on another part of the globe from where I’m 🙂 Mountains are always gorgeous, aren’t they?
Haha nice I am glad I was able to introduce to a new country altogether 🙂 Yeah, mountains are my absolute fav!
Kazbegi looks stunning! I haven’t explored this part of the world yet, but I would love to. Those views are gorgeous!
I want to visit Georgia so bad and your post makes me want to visit more. The Gergeti Trinity Church looks like a fun place to pass the time.
What a lovely trip! Georgia is really high on my list and this look like a wonderful place to visit. I will definitely add it to my bucket list to Georgia.
I must admit, I’m a bit like your family in the sense that I’m definitely a beach/sea person as opposed to a mountain girl, but this post has definitely swayed me! I’ve wanted to visit Georgia for the longest time so I’ll definitely be coming back to your post when I get around to planning my trip 🙂