GE - Georgia

Territories and tourist destinations:
      Cartalia – The historical region of Cartalia, known in antiquity as Iberia, is crossed by the Kura river (or Mtkvari) which bathes the country’s capital, Tbilisi. About twenty km from Tblisi stands Mtskheta, capital of the kingdom of Georgia between the third century BC. and the fifth century AD and today appearing on the list of World Heritage Sites. About eighty kilometers west of the capital is Gori, an interesting city that gave birth to Stalin. Stepantsminda (ex Kasbegi), is a charming Caucasus village at the foot of Mount Kazbek (or Mkinvartsver), a 5,047 m extinct volcano on the border line with Russia and about 150 km from the capital.
      Rioni Region – In the center of western Georgia and the ancient kingdom of Colchis, land of the Golden Fleece; today it houses magnificent UNESCO sites and fantastic mountain scenery.
Kutaisi – Second city in the country by population and economic importance, Kutaisi is located in the territory of ancient Colchis.
      Cachezia – Increasingly popular with international tourism, Cachezia is wedged between Dagestan and Azerbaijan. Telavi is its capital, at the center of a wine-growing region dotted with monasteries and fortresses. Sighnaghi is a smaller tourist center also renowned for its wine production. Lagodekhi is another pretty village on the road to Sheki (Azerbaijan), on a tourist route that goes up to Baku as an alternative to the “E60” route and which is worth going along.
      Southwest Georgia – West Georgia has always been the country’s most developed region, its territory largely consisting of a fertile coastal plain dominated to the north by the mighty peaks of the Greater Caucasus. Among its main tourist destinations there is:
Batumi – In the territory of Agiara, today an autonomous republic within Georgia, the most interesting destination is Batumi, an important oil port on the Black Sea but also a holiday resort very popular with the Georgians after the loss of Abkhazia.
      Northwest Georgia – Incredibly beautiful, downright dangerous and politically unstable, but it’s worth taking some reasonable risks to see the Upper Svaneti fanstastic. The following are part of this region:
Poti – Another important port on the Black Sea, Poti was involved in the 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia due to its proximity to the disputed region of Abkhazia and today (year 2012) is still occupied by Russian troops. Although there are beautiful beaches in its surroundings, Poti is a risky destination.
Svanezia – On the border with Abkhazia and Russia, Svanezia is a historical region inhabited by the Svan, a mountain tribe of Georgian origin. Its territory extends over the Greater Caucasus with peaks that exceed 5,000 meters. The landscapes are purely alpine with valleys encased in mountains covered with coniferous forests and glaciers over 3,000 meters.
      Samtskhe-Javakheti – On the border with Armenia, the Samtskhe-Javakheti region has as its main attraction the rock city of Vardzia a short distance from the capital Akhaltsikhe. The territory is inhabited mainly by Armenians.