Pshav-Khevsureti National Park (also know as ყაზბეგის ეროვნული პარკი in Georgian) is a 1,446.2 km²
park situated in the north of Georgia, just in the border with Russia (in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania). The park is located in the north of the region Mtskheta-Mtianeti and is a popular touristic destination in Georgia.
How do I arrive to Pshav-Khevsureti National Park?
Kazbegi National Park isn't bad communicated because it's close to the road that connects Georgia and Russia. - Train: there are slow trains that links Tbilisi and Kars (Turkey) that stop in Akhalkalaki.
- Bus: there are marshrutkas departing from Ninotsminda's bus station to destinations such as Akhalkalaki or Akhaltsikhe. From Akhalkalaki there are also marshrutkas to Akhaltsikhe (aprox. 3 hours), Tbilisi (aprox. 4 hours) or Gymri in Armenia.
- Car: Mtirala National Park can be reached from places such as Kobuleti (aprox. 50 minutes), Batumi (aprox. 55 minutes), Ozurgeti (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes), Poti (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes) in the Kolkheti National Park, Machakhela National Park (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes) and Kintrishi National Park (aprox. 1 hour 50 minutes).
Once
in the Park the best ways to move around the park are the car or simply hiking.
History
The
national park is aimed at the conservation of the natural situation,
but projects are also being carried out in the field of drinking water
supply, energy, livestock farming, the sale of local products and
tourism. The area contains five of the eight largest lakes in the
country and further includes grasslands on mountain slopes. The
Javakheti National Park was designated in 2011, part of a transnational
protected area (joining Lake Arpi National Park in Armenia). The visitor
and administration building of the Javakheti National Park
(Akhalkalaki) was built and financed with the support of WWF and
Germany.
What can I visit in Pshav-Khevsureti National Park?
Kazbegi National Park is a nice place to explore the volcanic Javakheti Plateau and its trails. Now it will be explained what to do in the park according to
the town or village where they are or the nearest one:
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- Going 12 km from Ninotsminda it can be found Gorelovka
(გორელოვკა in Georgian, Գորելովկա in Armenian), 1,165 inhabitants. It
was founded by Doukhobors, a spiritual Christian religious group of
Russian origin (although most of them left Gorelovka in the 1990s).
Close to this town it's located Bughdasheni Managed Reserve, a protected area that protects the mostly swampy Bugdasheni Lake.
Its ecosystem is undergoing restoration (rich in fish, including trout,
and part of the year to many species of migratory birds) and has been
designated as a Ramsar site in 2020. It's possible to have a small walk
around it, taking Bughdasheni Lake Trail (3 km). Not far from here is Madatapa Managed Reserve around Madatapa Lake. It's one of the most important sites in Georgia for breeding and staging waterbirds (like the Dalmatian pelican).
- Another of the reserves within the national park is Sulda Managed Reserve, that protects some marsh wetlands. The visitor can take the nice Sulda Wetlands Trail (5 km), a short hike where observing birds or riding horses that ends at the swamp.
- The largest part of the national park is situated around Kartsakhi Lake
(Lake Aktaş in Turkish), an alkaline lake that is the 2nd largest lake
in Georgia (in the international border between Georgia and Turkey).
During the rainy season its excess water discharges to the river Kura.
The area around it is protected by Kartsakhi Managed Reserve. To discover a bit more the nature of the lake and all its flora and fauna, it's highly advisable to take Kartsakhi Lake Trail (6.9 km). In the village of Kartsakhi (კარწახი in Georgian, Կարծախ in Armenian), 776 inhabitants, it's located Jivani House-Museum
(10:30-17 Tue-Sun), a museum where the Armenian poet Jivani (regarded
as the greatest Armenian ashugh of the 19th century) was born. Close to
it, Mineskh Forest is located (one of the few forests in the area).
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Kartsakhi Lake
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Pelicans at Madatapa Lake
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Ruins of Akhalkalaki Castle
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The region of Javakheti was already inhabited by Armenians but in the 19th-20th centuries
more came from many sites of the Ottoman Empire. Currently part of the
population is looking for some degree of autonomy and linguistic rights
(Georgian is barely spoken here). Driving 19 km north from Ninotsminda it can be visited Akhalkalaki (ახალქალაქი in Georgian, Ախալքալաք in Armenian, Ahılkelek
in Turkish), a town with 8,295 people that is considered the capital of
the Armenians in Georgia and of the region of Javakheti. There aren't
many things to do in Akhalkalaki but one of the main sights are the Ruins of Akhalkalaki Castle
(free). These remains belongs to an 11th century castle built in the
times of the Kingdom of Georgia, alternating then between Georgian and
Armenian rule until it finally fell to the Bagrationi dynasty. The town
and castle were almost completely destroyed in the 15th century and
conquered by the Ottomans in the 17th century.  |
Kumurdo Cathedral
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Apart
from the ruins of a castle, it can be seen a the ruins of an Ottoman
mosque and a caravanserai too. The town has a nice church too, St. Khaj Armenian Orthodox Church, from the 19th century. To learn a bit more about the town and the history of Javakheti it's a good idea to get into Akhalkalaki Local Museum (10-18 Tue-Sat; 1₾),
a small museum with ethnographical collection (containing folk
furniture and costumes, rags and also archaeological materials). Going
15 km west the visitor can arrive to Kumurdo Cathedral, a
10th century Georgian Orthodox domed cathedral that was built by the
bishop Ioane during the reign of Leon III, king of the Abkhazia. Kumurdo
was an important cultural, educational and religious center during the
Middle Ages. It is the first church with features of the 11-13th
century Georgian architecture of Georgia. The church is decorated with
fine engravings and on its interior there mural paintings with special
interest. Also close to Akhalkalaki there's Baraleti Georgian Orthodox Church,
a two-nave basilica from the times of king George IV Lasha of Georgia
in the 13th century. It has a simple exterior, only having a damaged
relief and 13th century inscriptions in Georgian. There are several
tombstones scattered around the church like the one of the priest Petre
Khmaladze.
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Parvani Lake
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In the south of the region of Samtskhe-Javakheti there are many sights that are worth a look. Only 20 km far from Akhalkalaki it's located Heshtia
(ეშტია in Georgian, Հեշտիա in Armenian). This small town has 1,691
inhabitants whose majority are mostly Catholic Armenians, as it can be
seen in St. Astvatsatsin Catholic Church, a church from 1856. Continuing 10 km, the visitor can reach Abuli Fortress,
a cyclopean megalithic structure dated to the Bronze Age on the
southern slope of Mount Patara Abuli (2,670 m high) that hasn't had any
archaeological excavation. In the area it can also be visited Paravani Lake,
a volcanic lake that is the largest in Georgia and a popular
destination for fishing. Spectral analysis have shown that deep in lake
abyss lies mysterious object that appears to be of ancient origin.
Around it there's also Shaori Fortress, another cyclopean megalithic structure with many architectural features of Abuli Fortress at Mount Shaori (2,752 m high). Another lake here is Saghamo Lake and on its lakeside there's Saghamo Monastery, a group of nice churches with unusual motifs of bas-reliefs (the oldest one dates back to the 10th century).
Where can I eat in Pshav-Khevsureti National Park?
The main places to eat in Pshav-Khevsureti National Park are located in Stepantsminda.
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Banknotemaniac
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