Things to do
5-
Chalaadi Glacier
Ice comes down off the Ushba massif to a snout in the forest, reached on a walk from a suspension bridge over the Mestiachala a few kilometres from town. The path takes roughly two hours there and back and ends on moraine. Rockfall from the ice front is a real hazard, so approaching the snout closely is unwise.
-
Koruldi Lakes
Small tarns on a shoulder above the town hold a reflection of Ushba on still mornings, which is the reason for the climb. The walk up past the cross gains around a thousand metres and takes a full day, while jeeps run the track in summer. Snow lingers on the approach into June, and the ground stays boggy after rain.
-
Mestia Svan Towers
Built between the ninth and thirteenth centuries as refuges from raids and blood feud, the drystone towers rise four or five storeys with ladders between the floors. Over two hundred survive across Svaneti, several of them in the town itself, and a few are opened by their owners. Climbing one means steep ladders and a dark interior, with a view at the top.
-
Svaneti Museum
Icons, illuminated gospels, chased silver and hunting weapons gathered from village churches across the province fill a modern building below the main road. Much of the collection was brought here for safekeeping, so what is on display outstrips the size of the town by a wide margin. An hour covers it, and the labelling in English is thorough.
-
Ushguli
Four hamlets at around 2,100 metres sit under Shkhara at the head of the Enguri valley, with the Lamaria church on a rise above them and towers thick on the slope. Winter cuts the road for months, which is part of why the community counts as one of Europe's highest inhabited settlements. Reaching it from Mestia takes a jeep and the better part of a day.