3D visit to Georgia

Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia located at the crossroad of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. 

The most visited part of the country is the Eastern part, where the Tbilisi Old town is located. There are many places to visit which is just 2-3hrs drive from Tbilisi. Most of them are mountains and lakes. If you want to go to the beach, then you should visit Batumi Boulevard which is 3hrs away from Tbilisi, it is surrounded by waterfront parks and beaches. It is basically the Asian side of the country. 

In a short span of staying in Georgia, we were able to maximize our time and made the stay worth it. Here are some of the places we visited: 

ANANURI 

Ananuri Lake

If you are on the way to Gudauri, you can just have a quick look at the AnanuriLake. It has an amazing overlooking view and is only 45 minutes away from Tbilisi.

Ananuri Fortress

After a few minutes' drive from the lake, you will arrive in the AnanuriFortress, which is lying in front of the Aragvi River. There are two churches inside the complex: Church of Assumption and Church of the Virgin. It also has an overlooking view of the Zhinvalireservoir which provides Tbilisi with drinking and utility water.

Church of Assumption 

The fortress is open from 9AM-7PM and the entrance is free. There are souvenir items and local snacks outside the entrance for quick shopping or you can rent war gears to take a snapshot for 10GEL.

GUDAURI

Gudauri is the main ski resort of Georgia. It usually takes a 2-hour drive away from Tbilisi. If you're not on a private transportation, you can take a minibus or metro from the city. If you want to try the ski, the best month to visit Gudauriis from December till early April. We visited the place by the end of April and unfortunately, the slopes were not safe for skiing. It was my first time to see the snow, so we just enjoyed and played with it.

Russia - Georgia Friendship Monument - it was built to celebrate the ongoing friendship of Russia and  Georgia

JVARI MONASTERY

Jvari Monastery is one of the well-known places to visit in Georgia. During the old age, St Nino grounded the cross with the grapevine and this is where Christianity began. The name Jvari is actually meant "Cross" 

Jvari Monastery

Where the cross was grounded by St. Nino

From the Monastery, there is an overlooking view of Mtskheta and a glimpse of the two rivers flowing from different countries. The blue river is flowing from Georgia and the grayish river is from Turkey. 

MTSKHETA

Mtskheta is the old capital of Georgia before Tbilisi. It is a small town that you can explore in a few hours. It is the best place to buy souvenirs, homemade wine and chacha. You can also ask for a free taste if you want. 

In Georgia, they are very accommodating with their guests. Whenever they offer you food or drink you should not decline, so whenever you are offered to drink chachaor their homemade vodka, they will give it to you in Kantsi, or the drinking horn. If you resist they will ask you to put the horn down without spilling the drink, or else you have to drink - which gives you no option but to drink it! 

Bottom photo: Kantsi or the drinking horn

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral 

SvetitskhoveliCathedralSvetistkhoveliis one of the biggest churches in Georgia. The 10 century-old building has preserved its beauty, and it is a must-see visiting place in Georgia. 

According to legends, the cross used when Jesus Christ was crucified was distributed to different places. One of the pieces of the cross was kept inside the church and another legend said that the seamless robe of Jesus Christ was buried inside the church. 

UL - A piece of the cross Jesus Christ was crucified LL - the seamless robe was buried

BORJOMI

Borjomi a famous resort which is known for its mineral waters. It is also a brand of water in Georgia that is made of naturally carbonated mineral waters from the spring of Borjomi.

Golden Tulip Borjomi Hote, previously Iranian Consul and the hotel owner invested million dollars to transform the old house to a modern hotel

You can ride a cable car to the top hill of Borjomi for a panoramic view of the whole city. Or you can just walk around the central park for sightseeing in the garden. During winter the place is completely different, locals said that there is a magical feeling while you are on the road and the trees are covered with snow. 

Hilltop with the overlooking view of Borjomi

There are so many places to visit in Georgia, three days is definitely not enough! But for 3 days there's a lot of places to explore!