Svaneti greeted us with cows, just everywhere! On the roads, in the fields, even our route on the map looked like a cow! There were also pigs, horses, donkeys, and countless friendly dogs wandering freely through the villages. But it wasn’t just about animals—the landscapes were breathtaking. Long, heavy climbs, roads that vanished into gravel, stones, or pure dirt tracks, all surrounded by towering mountains and endless green valleys.

We started this part of the journey quite literally hot – with the thermal waterfall near Tskaltubo, where warm mineral water cascades down the rocks, forming natural pools perfect for a quick dip. Then came the Prometheus Cave—beautiful and well‑lit, though after visiting the Slovenian caves, it’s hard to surprise us underground anymore.

Next was a section of the route that somehow escaped my planning. I expected a regular road, but instead we faced a mountain pass above 2600 m a.s.l. the Zagari Pass before Ushguli. It turned out to be a real challenge for our car, but we made it! Ushguli was conquered for the first time in our history, and we stayed a bit longer in Mestia to hike toward the glacier and the alpine lakes.

Svaneti was wild, raw, and unforgettable – an adventure of contrasts, from steaming waterfalls to icy peaks, from muddy tracks to the warmth of local smiles.

Map of this trip:

Trip Photos: