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Mestia, Svaneti

Georgia

Caucasus shoestring ~$35/day
How to get there

Fly to Kutaisi on a budget carrier, then a marshrutka minibus up one of the great mountain roads of the world.

Where to sleep

A family guesthouse under a thousand-year-old defensive stone tower — dinner and homemade wine included.

What to expect

Europe's highest inhabited villages, medieval towers built for blood feuds, glaciers at the end of day hikes, and Svan hospitality that borders on hostage-taking.

First move on arrival

Do the four-day village-to-village trek to Ushguli, sleeping in guesthouses — no tent, no guide needed, just legs.

When to go

June to September

One phrase to carry

Gaumarjos — victory; the only toast you need.

Read before you go

Bread and Ashes by Tony Anderson — walking Georgia's high Caucasus.

Getting weirder nearby

Ushguli, Europe's highest village, at the end of the four-day trek.

One honest warning

The road is serious and the weather changes fast — respect both. Cash only above Mestia.

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