Western Georgia

Famous as the destination of Jason and the Argonauts in their search for the golden fleece, western Georgia is home to Georgia’s third-largest city, Kutaisi, and is full of easily accessible historical, architectural and natural riches. The region has always acted as a conduit for influences from the west, from the Ancient Greeks to St Nino to the Ottoman Turks. It was for long periods ruled separately from eastern Georgia, but was also where the great united Georgian kingdom of the 11th and 12th centuries made its start. Today the region attracts huge numbers of visitors, primarily as many of its sights are within a relatively short distance of each other, and their accessibility has been dramatically improved in recent years. However, it's not hard to get off the beaten track and discover areas as yet untouched by Georgia's tourism miracle.