Georgia Overview

Overview

Georgia is a country in Eastern Europe. It lies at the eastern end of the Black Sea, with Turkey and Armenia to the south, Azerbaijan to the east, and Russia to the north, over the Caucasus Mountains. Georgia is an old state in the Caucasus, with a beautiful coast, great mountain scenery and towns. Due to civil problems following independence after the break up of the Soviet Union, Georgia has suffered a lot. The infrastructure has taken a severe blow; parts of the "Georgian Riviera" are hard to access as a result. Still, Georgia makes a great destination for the resourceful traveler. Since Georgia claims to be the oldest Christian nation, there are many impressive churches and cathedrals dating back to a time when most of Western Europe was still pagan. The capital Tbilisi and nearby Mtskheta are nice cities with many important monuments. The Gelati Monastery is unique in its kind. In Vardzia you will also find interesting examples of Christian art. Things in Tblisi and the surrounding countryside have calmed down a lot in the last 2 years or so. Tblisi sometimes suffers from an unjust reputation for street crime but muggings are rare. Some caution must be taken in the mountainous areas bordering Russia (close to Chenchnya, Dagestan etc). However tourists do not even figure in most people's thinking and thus no culture of targeting tourists (scams etc.) exists. Some minor crimes such as theft, drug dealing still exists, but on a minor level, since the new Georgian Patrol Police is fighting crime and criminals very aggresively. You should avoid travelling in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, since those are regions of Georgia, which are ran by pro-Russian separatist regimes and kidnapping of foreigners have occured there. Georgian government is trying to peacefully return those regions, but no legal jurisdiction exists there, so DO NOT travel to Abkhazia or South Ossetia. Try to have a local Georgian accompany you, when travelling outside Tbilisi near the mountainous areas. It always helps to have a local or a travel guide with you.