Mestia

Mestia (მესტია in Georgian and Svan, Местиа in Russian, formerly Seti) is a 1,973 inhabitants small town by the river Mulkhra, in the northwestern part of Georgia. It's the capital of the historical region of Svaneti, part of the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. It’s a great base for hiking and other activities that do take you into the rest of Svaneti, where in so many places time really has stood still. Mestia is a twin town of the Italian town of San Gimignano because of its large number of towers.

 How do I arrive to Mestia?

  Mestia isn't very well connected with other towns in Georgia because of its geographical position. 

• Plane: there are national flights from Mestia to Kutaisi and Tbilisi some days per week (between 2-4 times every week). Helicopters are also available to arrive to Mestia from Tbilisi (aprox. 1.5 hours).
• Bus: there are marshutkas from places like Zugdidi (between 1-3 daily; aprox. 3 hours 30 minutes), Kutaisi (2 daily; aprox. hours) and Tbilisi (2 daily; aprox. 9 hours).
• Car: if you rented a car, from Ozurgeti it can be reached Shekvetili and Ureki (aprox. 30 minutes), Kobuleti (aprox. 35 minutes), Chokhatauri (aprox. 40 minutes), Poti (aprox. 1 hour) in the Kolkheti National Park, Batumi (aprox. 1 hours 5 minutes), Mtirala National Park (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes), Kintrishi National Park (aprox. 1 hour 40 minutes), Kutaisi (aprox. 1 hour 45 minutes) or Zugdidi (aprox. 2 hours).
  

History

  Svaneti had been a dependency of Colchis and of its successor the kingdom of Lazica until 552 AD (when the Svans took advantage of the Lazic War and went over to the Persians) and in the end of the war  it became part of Lazica. Zemo Svaneti joined the Kingdom of Abkhazia to form a unified monarchy, incorporated into the Kingdom of Georgia in the early 11th century. Svanetia became a duchy within it, governed by a duke. Its culture flourished particularly during the Georgian Golden Age under Queen Tama, who was respected almost as goddess by the Svanetians. Mongols never reached Svanetia and, following the final disintegration of the Kingdom of Georgia in the 1460s, fighting broke out for controlling the province (part of Upper Svanetia formed an independent principality under the Princes Dadeshkelian while Lower Svanetia was temporarily usurped and subdued by the Mingrelian princes Dadiani). The region retained significant autonomy until 1857, when Russia took advantage of the dynastic feud in Svanetia and effectively abolished the principality’s autonomy. Part of the Russian governorate of Kutais, Svanetia was divided into two raions: Mestia and Lentekhi. The unsuccessful anti-Soviet Svaneti uprising took place in the region in 1921. Mestia (formerly known as Seti) has been the cultural and religious center of mountainous Svaneti for centuries. It was granted the status of town in 1968. The town was largely modernized till 2012 (replaing many original houses by new houses in Swiss chalet style) and a small airport was opened here in 2010 to expand Mestia as the center of tourism in Upper Svaneti. However, the number of inhabitants has recently declined sharply.
 

What can I visit in Mestia?

  Mestia has suffered a rapid change to become an important touristic center, specially around the central square Setis moedani, with many rebuilt buildings, new hotels, and the construction of ski resorts.  Mestia is also the best choice to discover Upper Svaneti, a region named UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

These are Mestia's main attractions:

• Svaneti History and Ethnography Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun; 10₾/ 0.50₾  adults/ kids): museum that has diverse exhibitions featuring almost all fields of Svaneti ethnocultural heritage and handicrafts, regarded as one of the best museums in all Georgia. It displays fascinating church treasures, manuscripts, weaponry, jewellery, archeological findings, coins and historical photos. The main highlight of the museum is the room full of wonderful 10th to 14th century icons from churches in Svaneti, most of them fashioned in silver or painted in tempera on wood.
• Margiani House-Museum: small museum at an anciente Svanetian housing estat that belonged to the family of Margiani (they also possessed 8 towers, only 4 remain). The height of towers and their quantity spoke about wealth and force of the family. From its top, there are nice views of Mestia and Upper Svaneti.
• Mikhail Khergiani House-Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun; 3₾/ free  adults/ kids): museum that pays tribute to this Mikhail Khergiani, a Georgian mountaineer that was Honored Master of Sports of USSR International Class and Rock Tiger. Some of his personal belongings of the famous mountaineer are exhibited (including clothes, mountaineering equipment, photos, awards, gifts, and others).
  
• Laghami Georgian Orthodox Church: small medieval hall church located in one of the oldest districts of Mestia, Lagham, dating back to the 8th-9th centuries. Its two-storey structure has a simple, plain interior and a flat altar. Both have paintings on the façades with frescoes of different periods and different styles (including some scenes of the Old and New Testament, or local aristocrats like the Kirkishlians).
  
• Lashtkhveri Georgian Orthodox Church: small and simple medieval hall church, also known as Taringzel, whose most recognizable feature is a series of frescoes painted on both internal and external walls, dated to the 14th-15th century. Its style is a local version of the late Byzantine Paleologan art. The church has more paintings beyond religious scenes and portraits, including a rare illustration of episodes from the epic medieval Georgian romance on Amiran-Darejaniani.
• There are plenty of trails and routes around Mestia that are worth to be done, in order to enjoy the nature of Svaneti and the Caucasus. Here it will be said some of the most important ones:
• Mestia-Koruldi Lakes Trail (8.6 km): easy path that goes up to Koruldi Lakes, group of small and pristine lakes from where getting an unforgettable impression of surrounding peaks such as Shkhara, Tetnuldi or Ushba.
  
• Mestia-Chalaadi Glacier Trail (8 km): enjoyable route up the Mestiachala Valley towards Chalaadi Glacier, the only glacier that extends into the forest zone. It's one most beautiful hikes in Svaneti and, in summer, the visitor has to watch out for rocks falling of the glacier.
• Mestia-Guli Pass-Mazeri Route (20 km): demaning hike that crosses Guli Pass (2900 m high) and arrives to the picturesque village of Mazeri. From this hike it can be seen spectacular views of Mount Ushba (4710 m high), known as the Matterhorn of the Caucasus (considered the most difficult ascent in the Caucasus because of its steep profile and unstable weather). It can be done from mid-June to September.
• But, without any kind of doubts, the most spectacular but also longest route in Svaneti is Mestia-Ushguli Classical Trek (75.5 km). This 4-days scenic route is probably the most popular hike in all Georgia (in summer it's highly recommended to book accommodation on advance). It has the following stages: Mestia-Zhabeshi (14 km, aprox. 7 hours), Zhabeshi-Adishi (10 km, aprox. 10 km), Adishi Iprali (15 km, aprox. 7 hours) and Iprali-Ushguli (10 km, aprox. 5 hours).
• Around Mestia there are also some ski stations that are worth to be visited, one of them is Hatsvali Ski Station and Tetnuldi Ski Resort.
  

Exhibitions at Svaneti History 
and Ethnography Museum

Mikhail Khergiani House-Museum

Shdugra Waterfall

Around Svaneti there are several places to explore. One of the closest places to Mestia is Mazeri (მაზერი in Georgian, მაზერ in Svan), a picturesque 159 people village. Next to this village it can be found Shdugra Waterfall, the most affluent waterfall in whole Georgia from where getting wonderful views all over the Svaneti. Not far from this village there are some interesting churches. One is Ienashi Georgian Orthodox Church, also known as Ian, a medieval church built between the 12th and 14th centuries, but reflects an earlier Georgian practice by having a semi-open aisle (an ambulatory). The interior is adorned with a series of frescoes on the late Byzantine Palaeologan style, but they are heavily damaged.

Ienashi Church, also known as Ian

It formerly housed many unique items (some of them were removed to the Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography in Mestia), among these items were the Ienashi Gospel book (a 13th century illuminated Georgian manuscript). Another important church here is Matskhvarishi Georgian Orthodox Church, known as Matskhvar, a simple hall church with an ambulatory annexed to the south façade and its south door is a 10th-11th-century decorative woodwork attributed to Kvirike Agiduliani. It's extensively frescoed by Mikael Maglakeli in 1140, although the paintings are now damaged (including a scene of coronation of king Demetrius I of Georgia).

 

Okrostskali Lakes

Continuing west, getting closer to the border with Abkhazia, there is an area with several lakes that can be explored. Some of them are Tskhvandiri Lake; Okrostskali Lakes, a group of turquoise lakes on the border of Svaneti and Abkhazia that can be reached with one of the least known and at the same time the most impressive, remote and difficult route in Georgia, Okrostskali Lakes Route (35.2 km, aprox. 3-4 days); or Memuli Lake, on the east side of the ridge separating Nenskra and Sakeni gorges.

Svan tower known as the Tower of Love

In the way from Mestia to Ushguli the visitor can stop in several places, such as the Svan tower known as the Tower of Love, a four-story building that has a curious legend around it. The husband of a happily married couple was sent to war and killed in action, but his wife did not believe the notice of his death and spent the rest of her life waiting for him in this isolated tower. Before reaching this site there's Nakipari Georgian Orthodox Church, also known as Jgrag, a 10th-11th century hall church adorned with frescoes painted by Tevdore in 1130, among the earliest in Svaneti and it has sculptures on its façade, unusual from the region's architecture. In the village of Adishi (ადიში in Georgian, ჰადიში in Svan), with 44 inhabitants where it can be found some nice Svan towers, medieval churches like St. Giorgi Georgian Orthodox Church in Adishi (10th century hall church with wall paintings from the 11th-12th centuries frescoes, including one of a horseman) or Mtavarangelozis Georgian Orthodox Church in Adish (11th century churchwith some painting preserved).

Kala Church, also known as Lagurka

In the road that connects Ushguli and Mestia there are some churches that are worth a visit. One of them is Kala Georgian Orthodox Church, also known as Lagurka, a medieval hall church adorned with frescoes painted by Tevdore in 1112 (one of the highest works of medieval Georgian monumental art). It's completely frescoed (noted for their emotional expressiveness and carefully conceived positioning), even though some of them have faded away,

Frescoe at 
Iprari Church

and has several inscriptions in Georgian. It also contains a rich of collection of various church items from different periods of time (including manuscripts such as the so-called Shaliani icon, crosses, icons, and utensils). Lagurka is considered to be the holiest shrine by the Svans (it hosts an annual all-Svan festival and pilgrimage, kvirikoba, on July 28th). Close to it, it can be found Iprari Georgian Orthodox Church, also known as Tarngzel, a 11th century hall church that contains a set of frescoes painted by Tevdore in 1096, one of the high points of medieval Georgian monumental art. Its interior preserves high-quality murals with religious topics and the exterior was also completely frescoed (typical of medieval Sevanetian churches). The church served as a safe repository of pieces of Christian art and, for example, it has preserved in the iconostasis (a 12th-13th century icon depicting the archangel Michael and the Deesis).

 

Lamaria Church of Ushguli

In the easternmost part of Upper Svaneti it's located Ushguli (უშგული in Georgian), a community of four villages by river Enguri with 228 inhabitants that is one of the highest Caucasian summits. The fact that it isn't so touristic like Mestia has helped its preservation. One of the most interesting sights here is Lamaria Georgian Orthodox Church of Ushguli, a simple medieval hall church with a projecting apse and an ambulatory, whose interior contains two layers of medieval frescoes that are currently in a state of deterioration and serves as the seat of the bishop of Mestia and Zemo Svaneti. It's believed to date back to the 9th or 10th centuries and it housed a collection of dozens of church items.

Views of Ushguli and its Svan towers

Another very important sight here is Queen Tamar Castle, atmospheric ruins that were once made up of four defensive towers and a church, though just one tower and the ruins of the church can be seen today. To learn more about Ushguli, it's a good idea to visit Ushguli Ethnographic Museum, a small museum housed in a preserved Svan house that contains artifacts from the long history of the Svaneti region. One of the most picturesque villages in all Upper Svaneti is part of Ushguli, Chazhashi (ჩაჟაში in Georgian), known for its 13 well-preserved Svan towers. There are also several hikes and trails around Ushguli that can be worth to do.

Where can I eat in Mestia?

 Mestia has a large offer of guesthouses that offer food, but the town has some places to eat such as the following ones: the Georgian restaurants Cafe Laila (Zugdidi Jvari Mestia Lasdili), REA Dessert Bar (Tamar Mepe 32), Cafe Ushba (Tamar Mepe 7), the very nice Lushnu Qor (Tamar Mepe 44) or coffee shop Erti Kava (Setis moedani).

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