Georgia

Georgia's roots lie in the ancient kingdoms of Colchis (the land of the Golden Fleece) and Iberia, and it was one of the first states to adopt Christianity, in the early fourth century. A unified Georgian kingdom reached its "golden age" in the eleventh to thirteenth centuries under kings such as David the Builder and Queen Tamar, before Mongol invasions and, later, the pull between the Ottoman and Persian empires fragmented it.

Seeking protection, eastern Georgia accepted Russian suzerainty in 1783, and Russia annexed the kingdom outright in 1801, absorbing the other Georgian principalities over the following decades. A brief independent republic from 1918 was overrun by the Red Army in 1921, and Georgia became a Soviet republic — the birthplace of Joseph Stalin.

Independence returned in 1991, followed by civil conflict and the loss of control over the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The 2003 "Rose Revolution" brought reformers to power; a short war with Russia in 2008 ended with Russian recognition and military occupation of the two breakaway regions. Georgia has since pursued closer ties with the EU and NATO, becoming an EU candidate in 2023, amid recurring political turmoil over the pace and direction of that course.

Georgian identity is built on the language and alphabet, the Georgian Orthodox Church, and an intense culture of hospitality. The supra, a feast led by a tamada (toastmaster) who delivers a long, structured sequence of toasts to God, country, family, ancestors, and peace, is the central social ritual, fuelled by wine and polyphonic singing — a UNESCO-listed vocal tradition of interlocking male harmonies.

Wine is inseparable from this. Georgians make wine in qvevri, large clay vessels buried in the ground, a method dated by archaeologists to around 8,000 years ago — the oldest evidence of winemaking anywhere — and the practice is on UNESCO's list. Almost every rural family makes its own.

Georgians are proud, warm, and quick to insist that a guest is "a gift from God." Dance, from the athletic men's khevsuruli to the gliding women's parts, and a strong tradition in wrestling, rugby, and chess round out the cultural picture.

About a third of Georgia's 3.7 million people live in Greater Tbilisi, a city of sulphur baths, balconied old houses, Soviet blocks, and new glass landmarks strung along the Mtkvari River. Batumi, on the Black Sea, has boomed as a resort and casino city; Kutaisi is the old western capital; and much of the country is farming villages and mountain settlements, many losing population.

The economy runs on services — tourism has grown enormously — along with agriculture (wine, hazelnuts, fruit), transit and logistics between the Caspian and the Black Sea, and remittances. Wages are low, and the political argument over Europe versus a more cautious line toward Russia dominates national life.

Daily life keeps a Caucasian rhythm: strong coffee or tea, a large midday or evening meal, the marshrutka, church on Sunday for many, and — in autumn — the whole country turning to the grape harvest and the making of wine and chacha.

Georgian food has a devoted following well beyond the country. Khachapuri, cheese-filled bread, comes in regional forms — the boat-shaped Adjaruli, topped with butter and a raw egg, is the most famous. Khinkali, large soup dumplings of spiced meat, are eaten by hand, holding the twisted top knot.

Walnuts, herbs, and spices define much of the cooking: pkhali (vegetable pâtés with walnut and garlic), badrijani (aubergine rolls with walnut paste), satsivi (chicken in cold walnut sauce), lobio (bean stew), and grilled meats (mtsvadi). Adjika, a fiery pepper paste, and tkemali, a sour-plum sauce, are on every table.

Wine is drunk with everything, often the family's own; chacha, a strong grape spirit, follows. Sparkling mineral water from Borjomi, and churchkhela — nuts threaded on string and dipped repeatedly in thickened grape juice — are the other national specialities.

Tbilisi rewards a couple of days: the old town's wooden balconies and churches, the sulphur bathhouses of Abanotubani, the Narikala fortress reached by cable car, and a lively café, wine-bar, and nightlife scene. Nearby, Mtskheta — the ancient royal and religious capital, a UNESCO site — has the Svetitskhoveli cathedral and the hilltop Jvari monastery.

The Georgian Military Highway climbs north to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi), where the lone Gergeti Trinity Church stands against the snows of Mount Kazbek — the country's postcard view — with the Gudauri ski resort on the way. To the west, the wine region of Kakheti around Sighnaghi and Telavi is the place to see qvevri winemaking and the supra at its fullest.

For mountains, Svaneti in the northwest is the star: the medieval defensive tower-houses of Mestia and Ushguli (among the highest permanently inhabited villages in Europe), glaciers, and multi-day treks. Tusheti, in the northeast, reached over a hair-raising summer-only pass, is even more remote. On the Black Sea, Batumi's boulevard and the botanical garden, and the rainforest and canyons around Kutaisi (Prometheus Cave, Martvili, Okatse), fill out the country.