Georgia - Today is Independence Day in Georgia. For the 25th time, it is celebrated that Georgia became independent from Russia. On the famous Rustaveli Avenue, many stalls and stages are set up. There is entertainment everywhere. We order a sandwich at one of ...

Georgia - We drive to the old capital, Mtskheta. Before visiting the cathedral in the town, we drive to the church on the hill opposite Mtskheta. This church sits on the other bank of the river. The Jvari Church contains a large wooden cross, symbolizing the wooden ...

Georgia - After about a two-hour drive, we reach Bodbe Monastery, one of Georgia’s most important religious sites. This active convent is particularly known as the burial place of Saint Nino, who played a crucial role in converting Georgia to Christianity in ...

Georgia - The cave city of Vardzia is a rock monastery on the slopes of the Erusheli River. It was founded by Queen Tamar in 1185 as protection against the Mongols and consisted of over six thousand apartments across thirteen levels. The only access to the complex ...

Georgia - The weather clears, and the sun even breaks through. On the boulevard, most of the beach tents are being dismantled and cleared away—the season is over. Behind the boulevard stand tall apartment blocks and skyscrapers of unusual shapes, giving the skyline ...

Georgia - We drive out of Sagarejo, heading for the David Gareja monastery. The monastery is carved into the rocks and lies exactly in the mountainous area on the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan. We had heard the road there would be bad. Expecting the worst, ...

Georgia - From Mestia we continue driving to Ushguli. Mestia is located at an altitude of 1,400 meters. Ushguli at 2,200 meters. This makes Ushguli the highest continuously inhabited mountain village in Europe. We do wonder if this is not higher in the Alps. The ...

Georgia - We drive on to Gori, a city world-famous as the birthplace of Joseph Stalin. He was born here in 1878 in a modest wooden house, still standing next to the museum later built in his honor. Visiting a museum dedicated to a man responsible for the oppression ...

Georgia - Just after two o’clock we approach Stepantsminda. Along the roadside are numerous trucks, kilometers long. The trucks have been waiting here for the border crossing with Russia. Further along the route, there is no place to park. The police let a few ...