Georgia & The Great Caucasus

Full documentary about Georgia, this country is located in the Caucasus, along the black sea. It is a country with European vocation and western spirit with great landscape and cultural variety. 

Georgia. The secret in the Caucasus

Georgia has protected its artistic heritage and been able to maintain the vibrancy of its unique traditions. It has conserved a biodiversity greater than that of some continents, and has a magnetism which draws people back to visit over and over again. Although as small as Switzerland, Georgia is big in all aspects; a progressive nation, European in attitude and Western in spirit; a real Caucasian country with the joy of the Mediterranean.

The vast vineyards of the Eastern Region of Kakheti, home to the largest wineries in the nation, are a clear illustration of this passion. In Georgia, there are a considerable number of grape varieties, more than anywhere else in the world. 

In Kakheti, almost everything revolves around wine. Proof of this is the XVI century wine cellar in Velistsikhe, in which the traditional “kvevri” are still used: clay barrels buried underground that maintain a constant temperature to ensure optimal fermentation.

Tbilisi (tiflis), founded as a fortress-city in the V century, is the nation’s capital, its largest city and has been admired by famous people such as Leon Tolstoy and Alexander Dumas. Every corner of Tbilisi is quite captivating. Its bewitching spell is cast over the whole of this safe and friendly metropolis in which guests are considered a “gift from God”. At the end of the harvest, colourful folkloric celebrations take place in the wine making areas. 

The fertile Valley of Alazani, in the Region of Kakheti, is renowned because of the excellence of its grapes and because it is the source of outstanding wines such as Khindzmarauli and Gurdjani.

Sighnaghi is one of the smallest towns in the country, but it has the second longest wall in the world, after China, also known as “the city of love” is also celebrated for its renowned grape harvest. The Tusheti National Reserve is one of the most beautiful areas of Georgia. Vashlovani National Park, in the south-eastern part of the country, has a semi-desert ecosystem and is an excellent example of the varied bio-diversity to be found in Georgia. One of the 13 Assyrian Holy Fathers who arrived in Georgia in order to strengthen Christianity, David Gareja, is buried here, and on his tomb there is a stone that symbolizes the one that the distinguished Patriarch brought in his journey from the Holy Land.

Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is in the centre of the country and it constitutes 1% of the territory of Georgia. Borjomi-Kharagauli, surrounded by the magical atmosphere of the Lower Caucasus, is the most visited Park in Georgia and has a large number of recreational activities on offer. In 1830, it was rumoured that springs from the Borjomi-Kharagauli Nature Reserve contained healing properties, and 60 years later, the first bottling plant of the now world-famous Borjomi water, was created. It is unique because of its naturally mineralized hydro carbonated sodium and therapeutic qualities.

Shatili is located on the narrow pass of Arghuni, on the northern slope of the Great Caucasus. Sixty percent of Georgian territory are mountains. There a lots of fantastic opportunities for all kind of people who like nature, who like mountains. There are five peaks in the Caucasus in Georgia over 5000 meters, which gives really great opportunities for the amateur climbers. Apart from mountaineering these mountains give brilliant opportunities just for those who like nature, so you can do two or three weeks continuous tracks in a totally wild environment, plus there are lots of opportunities for rafting, canoeing, canyoning or any mountain activities. Georgia has two ski resorts: Bakuriani, to the south of Borjomi, at an altitude of 1,700 metres has conditions that are ideal for family skiing. Gudauri, in the Upper Caucasus, at 2,000 metres, has steep slopes which will satisfy the most extreme athletes.