Must See

Batumi

This seaside resort and port in the southwest of the republic on the Black Sea Coast is the capital of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic. Situated just 20 km (12 mi) from the border with Turkey, the town has a decidedly Turkish character, with lush vegetation and a vibrant backdrop of citrus groves and tea plantations. Highlights of the town include the botanical gardens, a 19th-century bath house, the Ajarian Museum (with its superb national costume collection) and the mosque.

Borjomi

Borjomi is a resort town in south-central Georgia situated in the picturesque Borjomi Gorge on the eastern edge of the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park. It was developed in the 19th century by Tsar Nicholas as a spa town, and is still renowned for its mineral water. It is possible to hike in the surrounding hills.

Gori

Largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1920, Gori was the birthplace of the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin (1878), and is the last place where you can see a statue of him in public in the former USSR. The city is home to the Joseph Stalin Museum with items related to his life, the house where he was born, and his personal railway carriage. The town is overlooked by the medieval fortress of Goristsikhe.

Just 10 km south of Gori is the Ateni Sioni Church, which stands in a beautiful setting and is highly prized for its 11th-century stonecarvings and frescoes. The walls of the church contain inscriptions of one of the versions of early Georgian alphabet, dating from 835. Near the church there are the ruins of a medieval fortified town.

Mtskheta

Mtskheta, 20 km northwest of Tbilisi, was the capital until the fifth century, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city is famous in legend as the place where Christ's crucifixion robe was dropped on the ground in AD 328, having been brought from Jerusalem by a local Jew. The 15th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Pillar of Life) stands on this spot today, and claims to have fragments of the cloth inside.

There are a number of other historical monuments to see in the city, including the 6th century Jvari Monastery, the Armaztsikhe acropolis (dating to the late 1st millennium BC), the Armaztsikhe fortress (3rd century BC), the Samtavro Monastery (11th century), the fragmentary remains of a royal palace (1st-3rd century AD) and the fortress of Bebris Tsikhe (14th century).

Tbilisi

The name of Georgia's capital city is derived from the word 'tbili' meaning 'warm', and Tbilisi certainly has a Mediterranean quality, which has managed to survive the Soviet period. The old city spreads out from the south bank of the river, where streets wind past stone houses with courtyards at their centre. Travellers should visit the frescoed churches dotted around the city (the most noteworthy being the fifth-century Sioni Cathedral), and the castle. Also worth a look are the 19th-century houses with arcaded open galleries on the upper floors.

Just north of the Metekhi Bridge, there is a domed, oriental-style 19th-century bath house, where visitors may try a health-giving sulphur bath. For those wanting to enjoy some culture, Davit Aghmashenebeli Prospekt is the base for the Georgian State Philharmonic Orchestra and the internationally known Georgian National Dance Troupe.

Tbilisi's main thoroughfare, Prospekt Rustavel, features an assortment of stylish public buildings testifying to the city's prosperity at the turn of the century. There travellers will find the Georgian State Museum, which houses a collection of frescoes, icon, and porcelain, as well as an outstanding display of jewellery discovered in pre-Christian Georgian tombs. Other museums include the open-air Museum of Ethnography, which has interesting examples of rural buildings and artefacts, and the Georgian Museum of Arts, in the centre of town, which has many works by the 19th-century 'primitive' artist, Niko Pirosmani.

But for a look at Tbilisi as a whole, try walking up Mount Mtatsminda, or go to the Narikala Fortress: originally built by the Persians in the fourth century and rebuilt in the seventeenth century, it gives some beautiful views of the old part of the city.

Uplistskihe

The 'Fortress of God' is a large system of underground caves, some 10 km (6 miles) east of Gori. They were lived in between the sixth century BC to the 14th century AD and featured shops, sophisticated dwellings, public buildings, theatres, dungeons and wine cellars.

Activities

Biking and Riding

The mountain regions of the Caucasus are suitable for mountain biking and horse riding, and there are numerous mountain roads and tracks. Trips can be started at the mountain resort of Bakuriani. Special Caucasian horses bred for their beauty and endurance, such as the Tusheti and the Kabardo, are the traditional means of transport in this area.

Birdwatching

Approximately 360 species can be found in Georgia, depending on the season, with the number of birds increasing considerably during the spring and autumn migrations. In the summers, birds such as the long-legged buzzard, the bearded vulture and the white-tailed eagle may be spotted, whilst in the autumn, the mountain steppes and wetlands in the south near the Armenian border are home to white storks, white pelicans, Caspian snowcocks and cranes.

Hiking and Walking

The area around the ski resort of Gudauri (120 km north of Tbilisi) makes a good starting point for summer walks through mountain meadows full of flowers. The mountains in the east and south can offer more gentle walks. The Chaukhi Mountains and the Roshka Valley, with its glaciers, also offer stark mountain scenery and strenuous wilderness treks. Lowland walks are possible in both the south and the north of the country.

National Parks

The country's unique beauty can be seen particularly in the country's national parks:

• Borjami-Kharagauli National Park: set inside the Lesser Caucasus around the former health resorts of Abastumani, Saime, Badgadi and Nunisiare.
• Lagodechi National Park and Nature Reserve: gives visitors the opportunity to trek through the untouched natural ecosystems, beautiful waterfalls and lakes.
• Tusheti National Park: home to a mountainous landscape reaching up to 4,800m (15,748ft), perfect for trekking and mountain activities. Tourists can explore the park by foot, horse or vehicle. Many endemic species can be seen in the park, including the Caucasian Lynx, Caspian sea wolf, and many bird species.
• Vashlovani National Park and Nature Reserve: located in the innermost part of Georgia, but open to scientific and educational tourism only. Visitors exploring the park by foot or horse may be able to spot wolf, lynx, griffin vulture, hyena, brown bear and Egyptian vulture.

Wine Tasting

Georgia is one of the oldest wine producing regions of Europe, and vines have been cultivated in the fertile valleys of the South Caucasus for at least 7,000 years. Among the best-known wine producing regions are Abkhazia, Kakheti (further divided onto micro-regions of Kvareli and Telavi), Kartli, Kvemo Svaneti, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi.

Winter Sports

The Caucasus mountains, which extend from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, offer numerous opportunities for winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, heli-skiing and ski touring. The ski resorts of Bakuriani and Gudauri are suitable for skiers of all abilities. Snow cover is guaranteed from December to April. Mount Shkora is the highest summit at 5,068m (16,627 ft) and Mount Kazbegi (or Mkinvartsveri, meaning 'ice top'), at 5,033 m (16,512 ft) is the most attractive to mountain-climbers.