Mestia

Mestia is the main settlement of Svaneti and the starting point for almost everything people come to Svaneti for. The towers stand among the houses, and you get used to them quickly: within a day you stop turning to look.

What to see

• The Svan towers — dozens of stone towers in the village, some open to climb.
• The museum of history and ethnography — medieval icons and embossed crosses from Svaneti’s village churches.
• Hatsvali — a cable car and a viewing point looking at Ushba.
• The Koruldi crosses — a four to five hour trail to a panorama of the whole valley.
• Mazeri — the neighbouring valley below the twin-headed Ushba.

Getting there

Four to five hours by mountain road from Kutaisi or Zugdidi. Mestia has a small airport with flights from Tbilisi and Kutaisi, but weather cancels them often — they should not be the only plan.

When to go

June to September for trekking; in winter the Hatsvali ski slope runs. The road is open all year, with delays after snowfall.