Georgia

With its dramatic valley setting, picturesque Old Town, eclectic architecture and superb eating and drinking opportunities, Tbilisi is the vibrant, beating heart of Georgia and home to more than one in three of its citizens. Add to that the pull of the city's hipster culture, its techno scene and general air of cool, and Tbilisi is confidently sealing its reputation as the South Caucasus' most cosmopolitan city.

While at first glance Tbilisi can seem both crowded and chaotic, many neighbourhoods retain a village-like feel with their narrow streets and small shops, while the Old Town is still redolent of an ancient Eurasian crossroads, with its winding lanes, balconied houses and leafy squares, all overlooked by the 17-century-old Narikala Fortress. Whichever side of the city you're looking for, you'll discover both on any exploration of Georgia's capital.

Breathtakingly wild and mysterious, Svaneti is an ancient land locked in the Caucasus, so remote that it was never tamed by any ruler. Uniquely picturesque villages and snow-covered, 4000m-plus peaks rising above flower-strewn alpine meadows provide a superb backdrop to the many walking trails. Svaneti’s emblem is the koshki (defensive stone tower), designed to house villagers at times of invasion and local strife (until recently Svaneti was renowned for its murderous blood feuds). Around 175 koshkebi, most originally built between the 9th and 13th centuries, survive here today.

Not so long ago Svaneti was still pretty well off the beaten track, but recent tourism development has brought ski resorts, flights from Tbilisi, a paved road from Zugdidi and a huge increase in accommodation options, to the point where Mestia, Svaneti's only town, can get pretty busy in summer. Svaneti's mystique and beauty, however, are in no danger of wearing thin.

The remarkable cave city of Vardzia is both a cultural symbol and a spectacular natural phenomenon with a special place in Georgian hearts. King Giorgi III built a fortification here in the 12th century, and his daughter, Queen Tamar, established a cave monastery that grew into a holy city housing perhaps 2000 monks, renowned as a spiritual bastion of Christendom’s eastern frontier. Altogether there are over 400 rooms, 13 churches and 25 wine cellars, with many more still being discovered today.

This is most people’s destination on the Georgian Military Hwy: a valley town with the famous hilltop silhouette of Tsminda Sameba Church and the towering snowy cone of Mt Kazbek looking down from the west. Now officially named Stepantsminda, but still commonly known as Kazbegi, it's a base for some wonderful walking and mountain biking. What 20 years ago was just a big village has now grown into a sprawling town, with guesthouses and hotels everywhere and tourists arriving by the busload in the summer months. While this may not have added to Stepantsminda's charm, the town's location remains absolutely stunning and it's still very easy to escape the crowds and explore the surrounding mountains and valleys in peace.

The ancient monastery complex of Davit Gareja is one of the most remarkable of Georgia’s historic sites. Its uniqueness is heightened by its remote setting on the border with Azerbaijan and the surrounding semidesert landscape. Add to this the total lack of provision for visitors, the absence of any efforts to restore or protect the frescoes, the frequent tensions with Azerbaijan, and visiting Davit Gareja remains a real adventure.

In July and August it can get fearfully hot here by the middle of the day, so an early start, getting here by 10am, is ideal. Bring sunscreen, water and sensible shoes as you'll have to scramble up the hillside with no shade. Also be sure to have your passport or ID card with you, as you're in border area and could potentially be stopped by both Georgian and Azeri military patrols.

With a backdrop of mist-wrapped hills and soaring snow-capped peaks, Georgia’s second city is a charismatic place with a charming Old Town and a fantastic subtropical climate. Fronted by the calm waters of the Black Sea, Georgia's main summer resort boasts a long beach and a vast and beautifully maintained corniche.

Batumi is also undergoing a construction boom, with new hotels and tower blocks transforming its skyline in recent years, even if the renovated charm of its original belle époque architecture from a century ago is hard to beat. July and August are supremely busy here, but the town has atmosphere year-round, with May, June and September also excellent times to visit.

Tucked away in Georgia’s far northeast corner bordering Chechnya and Dagestan in neighbouring Russia, Tusheti is one of Georgia's most picturesque and pristine high-mountain regions. The single unpaved (and often terrifying) road to get here from Kakheti passes over the nerve-jangling 2900m Abano Pass and can only be done in a 4WD from around late May to mid-October.

Centuries-old koshkebi (stone defence and refuge towers) still stand in many villages, and evidence of Tusheti’s old animist religion is plentiful in the form of stone shrines called khatebi (singular: khati) decked with the horns of sacrificed goats or sheep.

Today most Tusheti folk only go up to Tusheti in summer, to graze their flocks, participate in festivals, cater for tourists and generally reconnect with their roots. Many have winter homes around the villages of Akhmeta and Alvani in Kakheti. Welcome to one of Georgia's least explored and most mysterious regions.

Visiting a few of Kakheti’s wineries should not be missed while you’re here. With about 60% of Georgia's vineyards (225 sq km), making wine by both the traditional qvevri method and modern European-style techniques, this is a region where wine plays a big part in daily life. The renaissance in the Georgian wine industry in the past decade has been nothing short of phenomenal and the region is now producing some of Georgia's most interesting wine.

Kakheti's five main appellations of origin are Tsinandali (dry whites from Rkatsiteli grapes mixed with 15% to 20% Mtsvane); Mukuzani (quality dry reds from the Saperavi grape); Kindzmarauli (dry and semisweet Saperavi reds); Akhasheni (dry Saperavi reds); and Napareuli (whites and Saperavi reds).

Many wineries welcome visitors for tours and tastings. Some have restaurants and even hotels. The Kakheti Wine Guild in Telavi can help organise visits; it also sells over 100 types of wine direct. There are several wineries within easy reach of Telavi that require no reservations for tastings and tours, and will happily welcome as little as two people for a wine tasting. These include Shumi, Rostomaant Marani and Teliani Valley.