Updated in February 2021
Texts and photos Cécile Sepulchre
Touching Georgia…
Few French tourists venture into Georgia. Is it the secret of the hospitality and friendliness that persist in this little-known region? Far from being jaded, Georgians welcome its rare visitors with spontaneity and maintain a heart-warming sense of welcome. Invited, guided and supported in all circumstances, the foreigner is received with unfailing kindness and courtesy.
This small country that is “badly stuck”, to use a local expression, between cumbersome neighbours would have all the reasons in the world to be wary of foreigners. |
Despite its small size, and its Lilliputian population – less than 4 million inhabitants – Georgia has managed to preserve its identity. A miracle of faith, no doubt. The multiple Muslim persecutions have only strengthened the Christian fervour that has now crystallized into an inseparable part of the country’s identity. You must attend an Orthodox Mass to measure the devotion of these piously veiled women and men who are in a hurry to receive communion. At the four corners of the Sioni Cathedral, small groups take turns to sing their bewitching songs, a faithful crowd before the icons and paintings of saints, the most famous being the one of the St. Nino cross, the origin of the royal family’s conversion in the 6th century. Legend has it that Nino clumsily tied a cross with his hair, giving it a curiously curved allure. In Tbilisi, despite everything, the different religions seem to live in harmony in the centre and Orthodox churches coexist with the minaret of the brick mosque, an Armenian church and the synagogue. In the latter, the faithful feel so confident that they leave their personal belongings inside their desks. |
The Tbilisi Centre |
A Golden Museum |
Operas and Ballets It is on this same shore that operas and ballets are performed. At the Opera, spectators gather around colourful shows, which will be fiercely applauded. With a little bit of luck you will see the Sulikos quartet, a group capable of making a seamless transition from opera to traditional fields. |
The Fabric District Tbilisi has a double face, between tradition and modernity. The Fabrika district, located on the outskirts of the flea market, is several light years from the centre, with its ultra trendy bars and restaurants and its walls designed by street artists. In the evening, the young people gather to dance at free concerts, have a drink or stroll through the bars. A caravan hosts a photo booth while an old car stamped “Fuck Poutine” serves as a meeting place. |
Avant-Gardist Places In the centre, there are also some trendy spots. Some hotels such as the Room Hotel Tbilisi or the Stamba Hotel, located in a former publishing house, offer a contemporary decor lesson, with their ultra-design bars and bobo rooms. The capital still has vast spaces open to transformation, such as Ghvinis Karkhana, an ex-wine cellar transformed into a multifaceted space that includes boutiques, bars, restaurants and fashion or vintage furniture shops. Its wine bar claims 1200 bottles, a record in town. |
A Living Painting Art galleries are still rare, but Tbilisi’s art scene is becoming increasingly important abroad. “For the past 20 years, Georgian painters have found a place on the international scene, particularly at the Venice Biennale,” observes Kako Topouria, an abstract painter and arborist, who exhibits his work in an old caravanserai, converted into a cultural space. We remember the interest aroused by Vajiko Chachkhiani’s abandoned house at the 2017 Biennale. In a completely different style, the sculptor Pidzina welcomes his female visitors with a hand kiss. This artist retired to the bottom of a valley to draw and sculpt wood inspired by ancient themes. Foreign customers do not hesitate to order works from him despite his distance. |
Georgian Viticulturer But it is time to take off from the world of art to discover the world of the art of living, and in particular the world of wine. Georgia is already known for its gastronomy. Cradle of the vine, Georgia claims a wine-growing tradition dating back to 8000 BC, which allows it to claim the invention of wine-growing. The wine route can be an entry point to discover not only this ancient tradition, but also to better understand the essence of the Georgian soul. “Wine has always had a sacred dimension in Georgia. The warriors left with a vine stock, and asked that it be planted on their graves, to fertilize the future branches. Wine is also closely associated with Christianity and is part of the country’s way of life,” explains Eko Glonti, founder of the Lagvinari cellars, between two toasts launched according to local tradition. “I chose the Georgian method of matured wine, in terracotta jars. Moreover, here we consider that “making wine” means falsifying it. We prefer the idea of “helping it to be born”, says this skilled specialist. According to an ancestral technique, grape juice is stored, with the slack, in monumental jars (called kvevris), closed and buried in the ground to the neck, for several months, before being filtered and then transferred to other jars or bottles. Despite the total absence of additives, Georgians manage to create interesting red wines and especially excellent white wines, with fruity accents. These natural winemaking methods can be used both in medium-sized properties (Barbalé) and on a larger scale (Kalhuri cellar) or at a very artisanal level (Amerimeri cellar) each inhabitant being able to “give birth” to his wine, provided he has a cellar and a piece of vine. |
The Kakhety On the wine routes it is recommended to take several cultural stops. In the Kakhetia wine region, which can be reached via the Gombori pass, a break is needed in the Alaverdi Cathedral, the second highest in the country, partly dating back to the 6th and 11th centuries, a monument of striking beauty lost in the countryside. The poet Chavchavadze’s palace, despite its turbulent history, is a no less pleasant place to take a stroll in the countryside thanks to the opening of its beautiful park. |
Mtskhéta Another prime stopover, located 15 km from Tbilisi, Mtskhéta is home to two flagship churches for the faithful. Djvari dominates the crossroads of two rivers and offers a panoramic view of Mtskhéta. It is in the heart of this city that you can discover the sumptuous cathedral of Svetitskhovéli (11th century), one of the oldest in the country. Surrounded by fortifications, this church houses the legend of Sister Sidonia, who seized the Holy Shroud in order to die immediately, without anybody being able to tear it off. A sacred tree is said to have grown on his grave. |
The Troglodyte City of Vardzia The Caucasus, large or small, is another story. On the side of the small Caucasus, more accessible, the cave city of Vardzia was founded by Queen Tamar, an important figure in Georgian history, in order to protect her people and culture. In fact, this city proved to be impregnable and perfectly autonomous, thanks to its terraced crops and natural springs. Located in a canyon, above a river, through which Ottoman and Mongolian troops used to pass a little too often, this troglodyte city, which stretches over nearly 500 meters of cliffs and 13 floors, became an important monastic centre between the 12th and 13th centuries. The site sets itself apart thanks to its size, and to its level of refinement since this city was equipped with all the services: water pipes, cellars filled with wine jars, pharmacy, etc. The hand-dug dwellings often have perfectly pure arches, rooms, remains of furniture and a pretty church. These caves could contain more than 6,000 dwellings for monks and those fleeing invaders. The only way to get to this underground kingdom was through a secret tunnel that led to the nearby Mtkvari River. Only the earthquakes eroded the resistance of this site. |
Bordjomi and the Monastery of Ananouri After a short break at the Tulip Hotel in Bordjomi, a charming stopover in a spa town that used to delight the Romanov family, we head for the Greater Caucasus. The famous military road to the north runs along the Jinvali lake, overlooked by the Orthodox monastery of Ananouri, a fortified site of deceitful calm, since its history is turbulent and made up of bloody family wars. |
Kazbegi The road continues towards Kazbegi along the mountainsides, flowered with corncrakes. Gradually, the landscape becomes more harsh, up until the appearance of Stepantsminda (Kazbegi), a strange city, that somewhat resembles a ski resort, nestled on a mountainside. Mount Kazbek, Georgia’s second highest mountain, dominates the valley. One of the best views to contemplate it is from the Hotel Kazbegi, a particularly beautifully designed location. From its terrace everyone can admire the magnificence of the snowy peaks and see on one of the peaks, the church of the Trinity of Gerguétie. Perched at 2,170 m, this charming 14th century building can be reached by hiking… or by 4 by 4 for the lazier. A thin stream of tar stretches along a green slope of Mount Kazbek up to this little light of Georgian faith. From this church, the view of the mountain range becomes a breathtaking beauty that you can enjoy, as you attempt to forget that the Russian border is only approximately ten kilometres away… |
Asia, a specialist in the destination, offers an individual trip of 9 days/8 nights. Flights on the new Air France A.R. line, private car with driver and guide.
A tour of Georgia’s most beautiful sites: UNESCO classified sacred architecture, Orthodox churches, fortresses, the fabulous cave city of Vardzia, a hike in the Greater Caucasus at the foot of the Kazbegi Mountains and a day in the vineyards of Kakuchetia. The stay also includes lunches with locals to discover local cuisine and tastings of Georgian wines in renowned cellars in the country.
Price per person from 2,644 € in half board.
Booking with Asia (01 56 56 88 66 75 and www.asia.fr)ASIA
New Air France direct flight
Geographical data
Area: 69,700 km2
Capital: Tbilisi (1.1 million inhabitants)
Main cities: Kutaisi, Batumi, Rustavi, Sukhumi, Zugdidi
Official language: Georgian Common languages: Georgian, Russian, Abkhaz, Azeri, Armenian, Ossetian
Currency: Lari (GEL) (1 € = 3 GEL approximately in April 2019).
National holiday: 26th May (proclamation of independence on the 26th May 1918 from the Democratic Federative Republic of Transcaucasia, definitively acquired on the 9th April 1991).
Demographic data
Population (2017 census): 3,717,000 (excluding breakaway regions)
Density: 57 inhabitants/km2
Life expectancy (UNDP): 73 years
Literacy rate: 100%
Religions: Orthodox (84%), Muslims (10%), Armenian Christians (4%), Catholics (0.8%) Human Development Index (UNDP 2015): 0.769 (ranking 70th out of 177, improving)
Economic data
GDP (2017): USD 15 billion (World Bank)
GDP per capita (2017): USD 4057 (World Bank)
GDP growth (2018): +5.3% (World Bank)
Unemployment rate (as defined by the ILO) (2016): 11.6%
Inflation rate (2018): 3.0%
Main customers (2016): Russia (10%), Turkey (9%), China, Bulgaria (8%), Azerbaijan, Armenia (7%).
Main suppliers (2016): Turkey (19%), Russia (9%), China (7%)
Share of main sectors of activity in GDP (2015): agriculture: 9% (for 50% of the workforce), industry: 22%, services: 69
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