EXPLORE
the Ancient,
EXPERIENCE the Spectacular!
Ministry of Economic Development of Georgia Department of Tourism and Resorts of Georgia 12, Kazbegi Ave. 0160, Tbilisi, Georgia Tel: 995 32 381554 Fax: 995 32 381503 E-mail: georgia @ tourism. gov. ge www. georgia. travel
Georgian Incoming tour-operators association www. gitoa. ge
Georgia tourism association www. tourism-association. ge
didikavshirebi @ mail. ru
5( 5) 2008
Few of the earth’ s small nations offer the visitor as much as Georgia.
Georgia is a country the size of Switzerland but able to boats the highest mountains in Europe; truly fabulous walks; more indigenous grape varieties than any anywhere( with a wine culture to accompany); a fantastic architecture of stone watch-towers, carved wooden balconies, richly frescoed churches and Art Nouveau.
Combine this with a Mediterranean climate and the legendary Georgian hospitality and you have a unique travel destination. So come, explore it for yourself!
A whole continent in a small country!
“ Not a single country in Europe possesses such a rich flora and fauna as Georgia. No European country offers such diverse landscape in such a small area. Nowhere in Europe is the land preserved in such an original state as in Georgia.”( Prof. Dr. Michael Succow, World Wide Fund for Nature).
Georgia the Birthplace of Wine
Wine-growing has a long tradition in Georgia. It’ s impossible to imagine daily life, the traditions or the picturesque landscapes without it.
Legends of Georgian wine emerge from the distant annals of history. Slate cuneiform tablets from the 9th century BC describe both the Assyrian conquests and their demands for tribute. All of the vanquished had to pay exclusively in gold, save for Georgia whose wine became an acceptable currency for the Assyrian kings.
Archaeological research provides evidence of viniculture as far back as 7000 years in the Caucasus region. Many say that the generic word‘ wine’ stems from the Georgian word‘ gvino.’
In Kacheti, the heart of the wine country, some vines many centuries old, can still be found with trunks over a metre in circumference.
Summer and Winter Resorts
The entire western end of Georgia is coastline- most of it beach. The balmy waters of the Black Sea provide a respite from the summer heat and have welcomed Georgia’ s many visitors down through the centuries. The landscape transforms from sea, to subtropical coast, to foothills then mountains in a few dozen kilometres. The health giving qualities of this combination of sea and mountain air is legendary and one reason why some of Georgia’ s coastal regions can boast twice the world average of centenarians. In Batumi, Kobuleti, Ureki, Sarpi, Kvariati and Gonio the resort business is well developed and ready for visitors.
Due to its mountain location, Georgia is a treasure trove of hot and mineral springs. One is always within easy reach. Most famous is Borjomi- home of the world renowned mineral water. Developed by Tsar Nicholas in the 19th century as a spa town, he built an elegant palace at Likani in the Borjomi gorge and developed the mineral water facilities. He also built a charming narrow-gage railway which to this day still transports visitors up to the mountain resort of Bakuriani, a thousand metres above.
Gudauri is Georgia’ s most recently developed ski-resort. Set at over 2000 metres in the Greater Caucasus, snow is never a problem and its newly built hotels and cable cars offer a high quality service to the modern skier. In summer this region transforms into the most splendid walker’ s haven, with the dramatic Aragvi valley immediately below and the historic Khada valley
just to the east is the historic Khada valley, former route of the Georgian Military Highway with its many ancient towers and spectacular views.
During the Soviet period Bakuriani was developed as a ski resort- up to Olympic standard. Recently the town has found new life, with hotels and chalets springing up in tasteful settings around this gentle mountain area