City Information
GEORGIAFrom its green valleys spread with vineyards to its old churches and watchtowers perched in fantastic mountain scenery, Georgia (Saqartvelo, საქართველო) is one of the most beautiful countries on earth and a marvellous canvas for walkers, horse riders, cyclists, skiers, rafters and travellers of every kind. Equally special are its proud, high-spirited, cultured people:
Georgia claims to be the birthplace of wine, and this is a place where guests are considered blessings and hospitality is the very stuff of life. Georgia is next to the countries of Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It also has a coast on the Black Sea. It lies at the edge of Europe and Asia.
Georgia has many mountains. Its highest point is 5,048 m above sea level. The mountains running through Georgia are called the Caucasus Mountains.Highest mountain in Georgia is Mount Shkhara at 5,068 m. The coastline of Georgia is 310 km long. Georgia has about 25,000 rivers. Largest river is the Mtkvari.The capital of Georgia is called Tbilisi.
There are a number of cities in Georgia that are popular favorites amongest tourists and locals alike. These include:
Tbilisi is located in the South Caucasus at 41° 43′ North Latitude and 44° 47′ East Longitude. The city lies in Eastern Georgia on both banks of the Mt’k’vari River. The elevation of the city ranges from 380–770 metres above sea level (1,250–2,530 ft) and has the shape of an amphitheatre surrounded by mountains on three sides. To the north, Tbilisi is bounded by the Saguramo Range, to the east and south-east by the Iori Plain, to the south and west by various endings (sub-ranges) of the Trialeti Range.
Tbilisi has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa) with considerable continental influences. The city experiences very warm summers and moderately cold winters. Like other regions of Georgia, Tbilisi receives significant rainfall throughout the year with no distinct dry period.
As a multicultural city, Tbilisi is home to more than 100 ethnic groups. Around 89% of the population consists of ethnic Georgians, with significant populations of other ethnic groups such as Armenians, Russians, and Azerbaijanis.
Mtskheta, located only 40 minutes drive from Tbilisi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest cities of Georgia. This former capital of the country has been inhabited since before 1,000 BC and is home to some of the most significant landmarks. The town itself is tiny and requires only an hour or two to explore, but there are other sites in its vicinity worth visiting.
Gudauri is a small touristic settlement and ski mountain resort located at the altitude of 3,000m on the southern slopes of the Lesser Caucuses range of Georgia. Gudauri is situated 120 km from Tbilisi. You can reach it by the Georgian Military Road for about 2 hours by car. There are local architectural and natural places of interests in the radius of 25-30 km from Gudauri. You can enjoy the beauty of Cross pass (2395m), visit the Holy Trinity Monastery in Gergeti on the slopes of the Kazbek mountains (5048 m), go on excursion to Truso Gorge and along Darial Gorge, running right to the border with Russia. Owing to the lashings of the sun on the mountain slopes and rare threat of avalanching Gudauri was recognized as one of the best ski mountain resorts of Georgia. Its first ski mountain routes were built as early as the end of 70-s, but the main large-scale construction only began in 1982, when modern routes were built and new hotels were erected..
