georgia – Alex Veach

Travel Vlog Georgia Ushguli & Armenia Lake Sevan Dilijan Yerevan

After arriving in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia, we drove to Lake Sevan, one of the largest lakes in the world. It stands out with its sweet and astonishingly blue water. Here we enjoyed the breathtaking scenery of the beautiful lake and then visited Sevanavank Monastery which is situated on Sevan Peninsula. There are 2 monasteries actually; one of them is destroyed but the other stands still. They were built in the Middle Ages, around 10th century. We also visited Haghartsin monastery and toured around Dilijan. This trip was so wonderful and Yerevan was such a dazzling city at night. I also included some highlights from the fantasy voyage to Ushguli. Thanks for watching and stay tuned for more!

Travel Vlog Georgia Akhaltsikhe Rabat Vardzia & Armenia Gyumri Alexandrapol

We started in Akhaltsikhe. After breakfast we had a guided excursion to Rabat fortress, which included Sargis Jakeli castle of 14th c., Fortress Church (late Middle Ages), an 18th century Palace and the Church of Saint Marine (1865) with built-in relief works. Next, we headed to Vardzia cave monastery and town established in 12 c. during the reign of King George III and his daughter Queen Tamar. As Javakheti was a barrier separating the rest of Georgia from Muslim world and was often attacked by enemies, thus a massive complex was built for defensive as well as monastic purposes. Along the River Mtkvari there were several historical and architectural monuments. After the Georgian-Armenian border, we changed transport and guides. We then moved to Gyumri, the second biggest city in Armenia. We walked through its historical center (Alexandropol) that has many traditional 19th-century houses and visited a museum located in one of them.

Travel Vlog Georgia Svaneti Mestia Ushguli Borjomi

After breakfast at our hotel in Mestia we drove to Ushguli community by local 4×4 WD jeeps. We passed through amazing landscapes, rich with coniferous trees and fresh air. The scenery here was totally different from Georgia’s eastern highlands. En route we made a few stops at Ipari and Kala villages. We arrived in Ushguli, the highest settled village in Europe (2100m), which is a UNESCO site for its unique Svanetian towers dated back to the 9th-12th centuries. In Zhibiani, one of the villages of Ushguli community, there is a little chapel named after the goddess of fertility in Svanetian belief called La Maria because of the Christian influence. We walked through the old cobble houses of Ushguli then drove back to Mestia. The next day we drove to the Samtkhe region and stopped in Borjomi spa resort town. Here we walked in the Borjomi-Kharagauli national park. This is one of the largest protected areas in Europe and covers 5300 sq.m. At night we arrived at our hotel in Rabat fortress.

Travel Vlog Georgia Tbilisi Telavi Mtskheta Ananuri Gudauri

We dedicated some time to exploration of the capital of Georgia – Tbilisi. During the day we visited all the major attractions of the city. We started from the Holy Trinity Cathedral (“Sameba”) built in 21st c. and being the main Christian Orthodox cathedral in Georgia. We also visited Mtskheta which was the capital of Eastern Georgia in Iberia from 3rd c. BC to 5th c. AD. Historical monuments here: Jvari Monastery of 6th c. and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral of 11th c. – are included in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We also visited the Prometheus Grotto when we traveled towards Svaneti region. This is a 1200 meters long Karst cave with 5 different shaped halls rich of stalactites, stalagmites, and other Karst figures formed millions of years ago. Tbilisi has many great sections – Narikala Fortress which you can go by cable car. Also, there is Legvtakhevi “Fig Ravine” which has a scenic waterfall. There’s Shardeni street, the neighborhood with Meidan square with lots of outdoor cafes, galleries, and souvenir shops. The National Museum of Georgia on the Rustaveli Avenue was also really amazing! There are many artifacts and rich ethnographic and archaeological collections from Paleolithic era to Middle Ages.

Travel Vlog Azerbaijan Shemakha Sheki & Georgia Sighnaghi

On these days, we continued the adventure through Azerbaijan and into Georgia. First we had a leisurely breakfast and drove to Shamakhi, which was the capital of Shirvan Empire, a long time ago. We observed an outstanding mausoleum called Yeddi Gumbez with magnificent domes rising above the silent and lonesome landscapes creating a mysterious atmosphere. After, we visited an architectural monument, Diri Baba, dating back to the Middle Ages. Diri Baba was built on the rock and looks like a big eagle’s nest. We continued to Sheki and en-route saw Ismayilli village to have lunch with a local family. We enjoyed an excursion in the Kish village, famous for its Christian architectural monument – the Albanian church. The history of this church goes back to 6th-7th centuries. Then we drove to Balaqani – the Azerbaijan-Georgia border towards Lagodekhi. We met a new guide to support with border formalities and changed vehicles to continue the trip to Sighnaghi. Sighnaghi means “the shelter” and is surrounded by well-preserved 18th century city walls with 23 defensive towers. The small medieval town overlooks the Alazani River Valley and Kakheti province. “City of Love” is another name, as the wedding registry works every day 24 hours/7 days a week. Kakheti area is considered as the main wine-producing part of Georgia. Numerous cultural and architectural monuments are around. Don’t miss a visit to the Sighnaghi museum and its splendid balcony. Archaeological, ethnographical, numismatic and painting collections are displayed inside the three small halls. Niko Pirosmani’s prominent naive canvas & oil are presented here. Walk and relax by the nearby towers and park in Sighnagi.