Holiday in Kazbegi (Stepantsminda)

About Kazbegi (Stepantsminda)

Kazbegi (officially Stepantsminda) is one of the most dramatic places in the Caucasus — a small mountain village at the foot of Mount Kazbek, which rises 5,047 meters high, one of the highest peaks in Georgia. The journey there via the Georgian Military Road is already an experience: one of the oldest and most spectacular roads in the world, winding over the 2,379-meter-high Cross Pass. The absolute highlight is the Gergeti Trinity Church, which sits on a hill 2,170 meters above the village. This medieval church from the 14th century, with the snow-capped Kazbek in the background and the green valley at its feet, offers one of the most iconic photo motifs in the entire Caucasus — and the hike (1-1.5 hours on foot) is rewarded with a panorama that you will never forget. Mount Kazbek itself is an extinct stratovolcano and in Georgian mythology, it is the mountain to which Prometheus was chained. For experienced climbers, the ascent via the Meteora Hut (3,650 m) is a serious challenge that requires glacier experience and high-altitude equipment. The Georgian Military Road, which leads from Tbilisi to Kazbegi, is itself one of the main attractions. The route passes by the Ananuri Fortress at the Jinvali Reservoir, the ski resort Gudauri, and the Cross Pass with the Russian-Georgian Friendship Monument — a massive Soviet mosaic monument at the pass summit overlooking the Terek Valley. Kazbegi is also an excellent starting point for hikes in the Greater Caucasus. The Truso Gorge with its mineral springs and abandoned villages, the Juta Plateau, and the Gveleti Waterfall offer multi-hour to multi-day trekking options in a landscape reminiscent of New Zealand — only wilder and more deserted.