Stepantsminda, Mount Kazbek

Kazbegi

The church on the hill and the 5,000-metre peak behind it.

Best time: May-October for hiking; snow-covered and dramatic in winter.
From Tbilisi: 3 h, 155 km

Stepantsminda (everyone still says Kazbegi) is a small town at 1,700 m in the Tergi valley, three hours north of Tbilisi. Above it, the Gergeti Trinity Church stands on its ridge against the glaciers of Mount Kazbek, the picture that brings most travellers to Georgia.

Come for a night or two: the morning light on the mountain, the walk or drive up to Gergeti, the Dariali gorge towards the border, and the Georgian Military Road itself on the way back.

Don't miss

Gergeti Trinity Church
The 14th-century church at 2,170 m; a paved road now reaches it, or hike up in about ninety minutes.
Mount Kazbek
The 5,054-metre volcano and its glaciers, best seen at dawn from the town or the church.
Dariali Gorge
The narrow gorge north of the town with the Gveleti waterfalls and a monastery at the border.
Juta and the Chaukhi massif
A side valley with alpine meadows and day hikes, 40 minutes by car from the town.