Ushguli and Gelati are two fascinating UNESCO sites.
After my hike with the group and Hvitserk, I had one week on my own in Georgia. I visited two exciting places listed on the UNESCO heritage list; Ushguli and Gelati.
Mestia
After leaving my fellow travelers with Hvitserk, I wanted to fly with a small air company to Mestia. Unfortunately, I was too late to book the tickets they release monthly. Therefore I had to go with a minibus from Tbilisi to Mestia. This journey can take up to eleven hours, and the road is not in good condition. Anyway, I wanted to stick to my original plan. Here you can see the characteristic towers I could see from my room at night in Mestia.
Ushguli
Ushguli is a community of five villages located far up in what they call the Upper Svaneti. It is also one of the highest inhabited settlements in Europe. Compared to Mestia, Ushguli is not in an accessible location, which has preserved its medieval characteristics, including unique defensive tower houses called Svan towers. Because of their traditional architecture, Ushguli, Mestia, and the surrounding area became a UNESCO Heritage site in 1996.
It was not too difficult to find a ride from Mestia to Ushguli; the journey takes about 90 minutes, again not the best of roads. However, visiting this fascinating rural village was worth any minute of the ride. About 70 families live in this village all year round. At 2100 meters, they usually have snow six months a year. Defensive tower houses appear throughout the community. These houses are 3-5 stories tall and were built primarily between the 9th and 12th centuries.
Kutaisi
When I was leaving Mestia, I had an airplane ticket to Kutaisi. However, the journey was canceled because of the weather, and I had to retake the minibus. Kutaisi, the third largest city in Georgia, is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and close to two of the monasteries I wanted to visit. The picture from the fountain in the city square.
Gelati Monastery
Gelati Monastery is a masterpiece of the Golden Age of medieval Georgia. One of the largest medical Orthodox monasteries, it was also a center of science and education and one of the most important centers in ancient Georgia. The church is full of beautiful frescoes. Unfortunately, a lot of it was under refurbishment while I visited.
Both Gelati and Motsameta Monastery are close to Kutaisi; there should be some buses taking you to both places. However, it is pretty normal to hire a taxi and ask them to wait while you are visiting the sights, and it is for a reasonable agreed price.
Motsameta Monastery
Picturesquely located on a cliff over the Ckalcitela river makes this monastery worth a visit. Its name means the “Place of the Martyrs.” Many stories are spun around this place when the Muslims tried to conquer the county. It is beautifully situated but not as significant as Gelati.
