Travel guide

Mestia

Medieval stone towers in the high Caucasus

🗓️ Best time: June–September, January–March for skiing💰 Budget · ~$55/day📍 Georgia

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About Mestia

The heart of Svaneti, a region so remote it kept its own language and its defensive tower houses — some 900 years old — standing in villages under 5,000m peaks. The four-day trek from Mestia to Ushguli is the best-known walk in the Caucasus.

⭐ Things to do in Mestia

Mestia to Ushguli trekSvan tower housesChalaadi glacier hikeHatsvali and Tetnuldi ski areasSvaneti Museum of HistoryUshguli, Europe's highest continuously inhabited villageKoruldi Lakes above MestiaLamaria church under Shkhara

🍽️ What to eat in Mestia

Signature local dishes worth seeking out.

Kubdari Svan meat breadSvan salt (a spiced blend)Tashmijabi cheese and potatoLocal honey

✈️ Know before you go

🚕 Getting around

Marshrutka or shared jeep from Zugdidi (3h) on a spectacular mountain road.

💡 Local tip

The road in is long and winding — take the morning marshrutka so you arrive in daylight.

🛡️ Safety

Very safe for travellers; low crime. Avoid the South Ossetia and Abkhazia administrative boundaries.