Mestia

Mestia is the capital of the Upper Svaneti region and at the same time it is the central place for tourism in the region. Although Mestia has undergone many changes in recent years, adapting to general tourism, it has not lost its authentic charisma, thanks to its numerous fortified towers, well-developed infrastructure and excellent location.

Population: 2,000 inhabitants (2023)
Altitude: 1,500 metres above sea level (centre) 
Defensive towers: about 35  

The name  

The historical name of Mestia is "Seti", so don't be surprised if you see hotels, restaurants or cafes called "New Seti", "Old Seti" etc.

Historical overview

The area around Mestia was inhabited as early as the Bronze Age, and numerous artefacts from the pre-Christian period are exhibited in the Historical-Ethnographic Museum of Mestia. It is also interesting to note that during archaeological excavations in Mestia, the ruins of Roman baths with mosaic floors were found.

Mestia gained a central position in Svaneti as early as the Middle Ages, when the Dadeschqelianis princes made it the centre of their principality.

In the 19th century, during Tsarist Russia, Mestia lost its special status and became part of the Kutaisi governorate.

Mestia in the Soviet era

During the Soviet era, Mestia was the capital of the district (rayon) of the same name, which consisted of 17 communities with a total population of about 17,000.

At that time the road was built and Mestia was opened to the Soviet world.

Several documentaries were made about Svaneti and its capital, and soon Mestia became a popular tourist destination. Soviet citizens then, as now, came to Mestia via Zugdidi and Lentekhi, but hikers and mountaineers could also reach Mestia via several passes from the North Caucasus. 

Mestia in the present

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it took several years for Mestia to reopen to visitors.

It was only when the roads were built and the safety of visitors was guaranteed that people began to rediscover the village.

In 1995, only a few tourists visited Mestia; in 2000, more than a hundred people did so; and in 2019, around 118,000 tourists visited Mestia.

What is special about Mestia?

Architecture

On the one hand, Mestia has numerous architectural monuments, fortified towers and typical regional houses that are several hundred years old, and on the other hand, there is modern architecture, with projects designed by various European and Georgian architects.

Location

Mestia is "only" 1500 metres above sea level and its local mountain, Tetnuldi, is "only" 4858 metres high, but its central location offers visitors the opportunity to make various day trips in all directions of Svaneti.

Accommodation, Restaurants, Museums

Mestia now offers accommodation to suit all budgets, from very basic to 4 star hotels. The cuisine in Mestia is excellent, with numerous restaurants offering a wide range of regional specialities, as well as several cafes and bars with traditional and European live music.

There are also many museums, from the very modern historical-ethnographic to the simple but very interesting house museums, with their fortified towers and authentically furnished rooms. For those interested in mountaineering, the house museum of Georgia's most famous mountaineer, Misha Khergiani, would be very attractive.

Hiking routes around Mestia

There are different hiking routes in and around Mestia. If you were to stay here for only a week, you would be able to do different hikes around Mestia every day without actually leaving the city. Some of the most popular walks in Mestia are:

1. Trek to the Chalaadi glacier
2. Hike to the Koruldi lakes
3. Trekking to Hatsvali and on to Tsvirmi
4. Day hike to Guli Pass
5. Hike to Mulakhi etc.

There are also a number of day trips available by car from Mestia. The most popular day trip destination is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ushguli, but there are also several places in and around Mestia that can be visited on a day trip by car: Koruldi lakes, Hatsvali and Tsvirmi villages, Tetnuldi ski resort viewpoint, Latifari Pass, etc.

From Mestia you can also make high altitude trips to Tetnuldi 4858m or Layla 4009m. The base camps of other technically much more difficult mountains, Ushba 4070m or Shchara 5,201m, can also be reached from Mestia.

Developed and easily accessible

Unlike other areas of Svaneti or other mountainous regions of Georgia, Mestia is very well developed. There are several ways to get there, by car, public transport (marschutkas) and even by plane.

The road to Mestia is built in such a way that any car can get there and you don't need a 4x4. In winter the road is cleared, but depending on the snow conditions it is often necessary to use snow chains.

Public minibuses (Marshutkas) run directly to Mestia from every major city in Georgia and the journey is relatively cheap. For example, a trip from Tbilisi to Mestia costs just under €10.

Flights to Mestia leave from Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi and tickets cost between 20 and 30 euros. You can buy them online from the Vanillasky agency. 

Summer and winter tourism

For a long time, Mestia and its surroundings were considered a hiker's paradise and a very popular summer holiday destination, but after the opening of ski resorts at Hatsvali in 2010 and Tetnuldi in 2017, Mestia became very popular in winter as well. Mainly because of the high-altitude ski resorts built to European standards and, of course, the certainty of snow.

In the winter, ski touring and heliskiing are carried out in the Mestia area.

These and many other reasons make Mestia a very popular holiday destination.

On following trip, you will visit Mestia

Hiking trip around Georgia >>

    from 1,750 EUR