Going on a trip, but don’t know which sights in Kazbegi (Georgia) are worth seeing in the first place? Looking for affordable and varied family fun? We have selected the most interesting and popular places of Stepantsminda (the modern name of Kazbegi) so that your trip will be remembered for many years. You will love this town, located at the foot of Mount Kazbek, for its landscapes, architecture and ancient buildings. So, to your attention the 6 most beautiful sights of Kazbegi.
Gergeti Church
Built in the 14th century, the Trinity Church in Gergeti is one of the most visited attractions in Georgia. If you have already arrived in Kazbegi, you need to look at it for sure. It is located at an altitude of over 2000 meters, directly above the village of Stepantsminda. It offers excellent views of the mountains and villages of Georgia, so be sure to bring a camera with you.
There are two ways to get to the temple: on foot and by car. Lifting on your own takes from 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on your physical fitness. The road is quite steep and constantly goes up, in addition, there are no amenities along the way, so you should not go to the church with the children. Going on a hiking trip is better in the early morning so as not to get sunburned and not get a sunstroke.
Getting up by car takes only 30-40 minutes. At the foot of the mountain, taxi drivers and cars of Kazbegi residents are constantly standing, who will happily take you to the most beautiful places and even arrange a small excursion (for a fee). Do not go to Trinity Church in your car. Firstly, only very powerful SUVs can overpower this trip, secondly, the road is steep and quite dangerous, an untrained driver can get into an accident.
- Choose clothes and shoes correctly. The best option for traveling to kazbegi in spring, summer and autumn is a sweatshirt put on a T-shirt, long sweatpants and closed comfortable shoes. Take a backpack with food, water and a windbreaker with you (the weather often changes in this area). In winter, be sure to put on a hat and scarf, a warm jacket, but not a coat, since it will be uncomfortable to move around in it.
- Do not go to church in fog or rain. The most beautiful view that opens from this attraction is the clouds that “lay down” on the mountains. Here you can take stunning photos of Kazbegi, but only in clear weather.
- You should not walk on a road designed for cars. Although cars drive here infrequently, it is quite dangerous because it is strewn with stones. In addition, it is almost one and a half times longer than the one that travelers usually walk on.
Made of stone, it is perfectly preserved to our times. Women in trousers and with their heads uncovered should not be included, so at the entrance you can take a scarf and skirt for free. Gergeti church is lit only by candles of people who came. You can buy icons and crosses in it. They say that any desire made here will come true. You should definitely visit this sacred place.
Mount Kazbek
Many writers wrote about this grief, including Lermontov and Pushkin. I must say, not in vain. The landscapes that can only be seen here are breathtaking, and from the top of the mountain, where the height reaches 5000 meters, the most stunning views in Georgia open.
Only trained climbers can overcome this climb, but ordinary travelers should visit Kazbek (for example, you can get to the Trinity Church, which we wrote about above). Also at an altitude of just over 400 meters there is a plateau from which a unique view of the temple and Kazbegi opens. You can get to the plateau on foot by buying a map in the town or view the route on the Internet. The easiest option is to take a taxi (cost about 40 GEL).
On a note! To visit this attraction in Kazbegi and spend a minimum of effort on lifting, find experienced fellow travelers or go on a bus tour. Use the recommendations given above to choose the right clothes and time for a trip.
Gveleti waterfall
It is located in a small mountain gorge, not far from the central Kazbegi highway. You can get to it on foot or by car. A fascinating walking trip takes about an hour, but does not suit the elderly and people with poor physical fitness. It is also worth being careful when hiking with young children – at times the path is very narrow and rocky. To get to the waterfall itself, you need to go through a mountain river (a popular place for photos in Kazbegi and Georgia in general) along a wooden bridge and go up its course.
The journey by car from the foot of the mountain to the equipped car park takes only 15 minutes, but to get to the waterfall, you must overcome 700 meters on foot. You can swim in it, but there is a strong current and there are always many tourists.
- It is better to visit the Gveleti waterfall on a non-hot sunny day to get the maximum experience and beautiful photos.
- The waterfall is one of the sights that can be seen in Kazbegi both in winter and in summer, since the surrounding places are picturesque both under the cover of snow and in a green outfit.
- At the beginning of spring there is still snow, so if you like to travel in warm weather, it is better to wait until the end of April. The most suitable time to visit the waterfall is May-June, when it is the most full-flowing.
- Wear comfortable sportswear and shoes, take food and water with you, as there are no shops at all in this area.
Valley of Truso
This wonderful place is not so popular with tourists, it is great for lovers of a quiet and relaxing holiday. To fully enjoy the local scenery, you can go camping with tents, because there is usually no strong wind and warm enough in the spring and summer. The path through the valley ends with border control, so make a route in advance and do not forget to take a map.
You can drive through the valley on an SUV, ordering it in the city. A two-way trip takes 1-2 hours, excluding stops. On the way you can look at a mountain river, a lake with mineral “boiling” water, a natural gorge, abandoned fire towers. Right in the valley there is a cafe where you can relax and gain strength, and a small village, the inhabitants of which sell delicious cheese and other homemade products.
- The best fellow travelers to visit the Truso Valley are locals, usually they gather at the beginning of the path. These wonderful guides will not only save you money compared to official organizations, but will also show you the most beautiful places, cook dinner at the stake and make up a great company.
- The road through the valley is only for SUVs. Do not trust drivers on other cars – most likely, you will get stuck in a way.
- Walking takes 3-4 hours, so you should not go on a trip if you do not have an adequate level of physical fitness. The valley is very large and beautiful, it is a great place for a two- or three-day trip with tents.
- Do not go on a trip immediately after rain or the next day. At this time, an already uneven rocky road becomes even more dangerous, because of which drivers raise tariffs, while not guaranteeing that there will be no trouble along the way.
- Agree in advance with the driver about the time. Usually they wait only an hour for tourists, so if you linger without first agreeing this, you can stay in the valley unaccompanied.
- The best time to visit this attraction is the end of summer or the beginning of autumn. During this period, the most suitable temperature and full of beautiful plants are kept here.
Betlem cave
Another bewitching place on Mount Kazbek, located at an altitude of 4000 meters. This is the oldest cave temple of Christians, formed in the 6th century AD, found by a Georgian climber in the 1950s.
The cave is located between the glaciers, this is one of the unique places in Georgia that you need to see in Kazbegi. Here were found the cells of the monks, gravestones and many other memorabilia, which are now stored in the city museum.
- The caves are very cold, so you should take a scarf and a hat with you. Do not forget the spare shoes – one pair should be comfortable (for the climb), the second – warm.
- If you want to visit this place, but do not have a sufficient level of preparation, you can visit one of these caves (there are several of them in Kazbek, all at different heights) located a little lower.
Kazbegi National Park
This is one of the most visited and popular reserves of Georgia. It is located in the mountains, the lowest section is located at an altitude of 1400 meters. Most of the park’s area is reserved, with turbulent mountain rivers.
On the territory of the attraction there are several forests with rare species of trees. Subalpine birches, mountain ash and pine trees grow here. In addition, this is the only place where the birches of Radde grow, which are listed in the Red Book.
In the southern part of the park there are meadows with various species of shrubs and green plants. Representatives of rare fauna species live here, for example, lynxes and mountain eagles. If you are lucky, you can look at them from a fairly close distance.
To date, the territory of the reserve is not equipped, the infrastructure is practically not developed and there is no full-fledged Center for receiving tourists. Walking and bus excursions are constantly held in Kazbegi National Park, which can be booked both in advance and upon arrival. In addition, you have the opportunity to enjoy a horse ride around the reserve or become a member of a specialized educational tour that is organized daily for everyone to observe the animals of the park.
Find out how to get to Stepantsminda on this page .
For a walk in the park, you need to take two sets of clothes – warm and light. Since the park is located at different heights, the temperature varies depending on the part of the reserve where you are walking. So, in areas that are located at an altitude of more than 2000 meters, summer does not exist, as such, it is always cold and everything is covered with snow.
We hope that our selection and tips will help you visit the most interesting sights in Kazbegi (Georgia). This is a beautiful city where you can enjoy a relaxing holiday and insanely beautiful landscapes. Have a nice trip!
All attractions in the vicinity of Kazbegi are marked on the map in Russian.
Useful video for those who are going to visit Stepantsminda.
