Travel to Georgia with travel insurance from Essential Travel

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Information on Georgia with single trip travel insurance from Essential Travel

Georgia, situated where Asia meets Europe, is a rugged, mountainous country with an ancient cultural heritage, a tradition of hospitality, fine cuisine and its own unique alphabet. Traditionally an agricultural country, it’s quite famous for its wines, while international tourism is on the increase along the Black Sea.

The Great Caucusus Mountains form the northern border with the Russian Federation, and the Minor Caucusus Mountains form the southern borders with Turkey and Armenia; while Azerbaijan lies to the east and the Black Sea lies to the west. In spite of its small size, Georgia is covered with a large variety of vegetation; this is caused by a climate that varies from temperate in the east to humid and sub-tropical in the west.

Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, lies in the centre of eastern Georgia, in the foothills of the Trialeti mountain range on the Kura River. According to Georgian legends, it was founded in the 5th century by King Vakhtang Gorgasali. With red-roofed, crooked houses built around courtyards and narrow alleys, Tbilisi has a distinctly cosmopolitan feel, and is a major economic and cultural centre.

The capital is famous for its historical monuments, churches and gorgeous architecture. Older churches in Tbilisi include the 5th century Cathedral of Zion and the 6th century St Davids monastery; while the 13th century Metekhi Church and the ancient Narikhala fortress are also worth seeing. Three of the citys most famous and long-established theatres are situated on Rustaveli avenue, including the Paliashvili Opera House, founded in 1851. There are also some interesting cafés in the side streets where you can easily meet some friendly Georgians.

Despite the fact that tourist facilities outside Tbilisi are not very highly developed, there are still places well worth visiting. Batumi, an old trading port on the Black Sea, is an exotic-looking subtropical city full of fragrant palms, cypresses, magnolias, and orange and lemon trees. It has a variety of entertainment facilities, including a dolphinarium and botanical gardens.

Svaneti, in the west, is a remote region inhabited by the Svans, clans of highlanders who still use sheep fleeces to pan for gold from bubbling streams - a possible source of the legend of the Golden Fleece.

There are several places of interest to the east. Kakheti is a region of rich, fertile soil that has been a major vine growing region of the country for the past 800 years. Khevsurati, where horses are better suited to the terrain and still more common than cars, is home to the Khevsuretians who traditionally live in fortress-like shale houses, are keen equestrians, and wear woollen clothes embroidered with crosses, the sun and lightning streaks.

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