Ushguli in Svaneti: Heaven is a Place on Earth

When they finally arrived, all the countries had already been claimed, leaving them homeless. There was no place left for the Georgians. When God asked why they had arrived so late, they replied that they had been drinking and toasting to His glory. Touched by their sincerity, God then decided to give them the one last precious piece of land that he had kept aside for Himself.

As you enter Svaneti and head up towards Ushguli, you will start to believe this legend. Svaneti is so breathtakingly beautiful that we can understand that God wanted to keep it for himself. If this is not heaven, it surely can’t be far away.

Welcome to Ushguli, Svaneti

The Post-Soviet Techno Trash and rock and roll of a ride were soon forgotten as we drove into Ushguli. Words cannot describe how beautiful it is. THIS IS THE CAUCASUS WE CAME TO SEE. Ushguli in Upper Svaneti is a cluster of four villages which, at 2086 m, form the highest continuously inhabited settlement in Europe.

Like elsewhere in Svaneti, Ushguli is famous for its medieval defence towers. In fact, Ushguli has the highest concentration (more than 200) of these stone towers in the Svaneti region. Dating back to the period between the 9th and 12th centuries, these defence towers kept the Svans safe (and secluded) from the rest of the world and centuries of invasions.

If these towers could talk, they would tell stories of unsuccessful invasion attempts by the Assyrians, Macedonians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks, and Mongols. When translated, Ushguli means Fearless Heart. The towers of Upper Svaneti and Ushguli have been protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

You’ll realize from the moment that you arrive in Ushguli that it is a special place. It is like visiting a place where time stood still (for now…but not much longer). If you like long walks, quiet time, good food, warm hospitality and spectacular scenery, you don’t need to look much further.

We think that Ushguli is the most beautiful place in Georgia, if not all of the Caucasus we visited.

Don’t Visit Ushguli on a Day Trip From Mestia

Please, please, please don’t come to Ushguli on a day trip from Mestia. Spend at least the night – or more. You can thank us later.

We spent three nights in Ushguli, and we had a great time. It doesn’t make sense to spend all that time getting here and putting up with Post-Soviet-Techno-Trash for hours on end only to do it all over again a few hours later. No!

Unpack your bags instead and prepare to relax and unwind in this spectacular place. Take long walks, adopt a village dog for the day, sit outside in the sun and drink wine, take a nap, watch cows graze, watch the village priest do his beekeeping, collect wildflowers, read a book.

Anything but not a day trip. Hiking up to the Shkhara Glacier alone will take up a whole day.

Hike from Ushguli to Shkhara Glacier

The hike from Ushguli to the Shkhara Glacier must be one of Svaneti’s most beautiful and easiest. A path follows the Enguri River north towards the glacier through lush meadows of wildflowers backed by snow-capped mountains. It is a fantastic 16 km return hike, but the path is flat and easy to follow.

There are a few places where you have to cross the small river on plank bridges, but it’s easy and nothing to worry about. If not up for a walk, you could also go on horseback or by jeep from Ushguli. Plan to spend about 6 hours to go and come back from Ushguli on foot.

At the end of the trial, there are people selling drinks from tubs filled with icy cold glacier water. There is also a cafe where you can get hot drinks and something to eat. We didn’t actually go on the glacier, which seems just around the corner.

The meadows, wildflowers and views we had on the way there were more than enough.

Once chosen, this dog will stay with you all day and follow you like your shadow. There seems to be an unwritten rule among the dogs that once chosen, humans are out of bounds for the others.

One day, we were chosen by a dog that could be described as ” full of character.” We decided to call him Oscar. We had a great time walking between the four villages that make up Ushguli, sharing lunch, and playing fetch with a stick. We bumped into Oscar again the next day, but he pretended not to know us.

The Chelidzes have been farmers since the beginning of time. Today, Roland still takes care of his cows, pigs, goats, horses and chickens. He also looks after the family’s defence tower. Gulo runs the house and kitchen, and she’ll feed you like your grandmother.

Situated at the northernmost end of Ushguli, Riho is the last house before the meadows and mountains start. The views are fantastic. There are six double rooms with two shared bathrooms. We paid 60 GEL per person, which included Gulo’s hearty Svan breakfast and dinner. Someone we met on the train to Armenia recommended Riho to us, and we’re so glad she did.

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