Caucasus Mountains, Georgia

Being at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, Georgia’s cultural heritage is ancient and fascinating. Its geopolitical history is equally interesting too, with various conflicts with Turkey and Persia until Russia annexed it in the 19th century. Despite it being a relatively small country, there’s a wide variety of landscapes ranging from alpine mountains and beaches on the Black Sea coast. In the south, there are remote hilly grasslands and, in the east, there are arid wine-growing plains. This set of Caucasus Mountains photos covers a two-week-long road trip in Georgia after a failed attempt to travel with two donkeys between the outskirts of Tbilisi and Tsalka.

To see historical Caucasus Mountains photos, including other parts of the country, check out this set from early 20th century American photographer George Kennan. Kennan travelled extensively through the Russian Empire, including as far as Kamchatka and Siberia’s northern Arctic coast. Somewhat confusingly, Kennan shares the same name and birthday with a cousin (twice removed) who was a historian and diplomat.

Deciding where to go and what to do in Georgia is tough, given that it’s a country packed full of historical sites, varied landscapes and different cultures. Some highlights worth considering are the 3,000 to 5,000-year-old former capitals of Kutaisi and Mtskheta and Ushguli, which is Europe’s highest permanently inhabited settlement. The country’s highest point is Shkhara (5,193 m), although it’s much less climbed than Kazbek (5,054 m). On the Russian side of the Caucasus is Europe’s highest peak, Mount Elbrus (5,642 m)—you can check out my ExplorersWeb story on the peak here. Aside from flying into Georgia – to Tbilisi, Kutaisi or Sokhumi’s international airports – you can also access the country by its land borders and ferry services across the Black Sea.

Side view of a one floor farm hut in a quiet southern Georgia mountain village.
The multicoloured balconies of an apartment block in Batumi on Georgia's Black Sea coast.
An old farm wall constructed from boulders overlooks an abandoned village in southern Georgia.
A man crouched down next to a cute little donkey with a red bridle.
Red and white carpeted walkway extends out across shingle beach in Batumi, leading towards the Black Sea.
A large wooden and corrugated metal roof house on stilts overlooks a verdant Georgian valley.
A storm front mixed with mist rolls over a lake and towards a farmstead.
Rows of telephone poles running along the length of a lake near Tsalka, Georgia.
Three men approach a cross to pray, near the shores of misty lake in southern Georgia.
A dirt road winds its way down through the mountains towards Batumi.
Light clouds in blue skies above a big field of yellow flowers and grass.
A red haired woman wearing a flowery skirt and red top walks through a flea market in Tbilisi.
Black and white photo of an old theatre building in Georgia with three doors and two men stood outside.
A blue van in the mountains, with rugged-looking huts in the background and boys herding cows.
Southern Georgia countryside with cloudy skies framed through a window of an abandoned house.
Hundreds of sheep graze at a remote farmstead in southern Georgia.
Rows of disused and rusting train carriages sit at a train station.
A small white Lada off road car parked outside a village shop in a Georgian mountain town.
An abandoned or partly built Georgian farmhouse in the southern Caucasus.
Hundreds of village houses in Kvemo Kartli region in Georgia seen from a hillside.
An old church in the background with a dilapidated home in the foreground.
Shoppers in a covered market in Kutaisi shop for fruit and vegetables.
The stone-built Khertvisi Fortress stands atop a green hill near the cave town of Vardzia.
A steep roofed bus shelter in a mountain village in southern Georgia.
A rusted brown metal fence in a Georgian village guards an overgrown garden.
Tsalka Greek Orthodox Church stands atop a green hill next to Dashbashi Canyon in Georgia.
A covered promenade with shopping stalls and vendors either side.
A straight dirt path cuts through a flower filled agricultural field.
A cow herder with a stick walks down the road tending to his herd.
An asphalt road leading to Turkey is blocked by a herd of cows crossing the road.
Abandoned mountain village home in Georgia with wooden beams overhead and a lopsided door.
Sideview of a rusted brown house with corrugated panelling and a green fence.
Close-up photo of an abandoned hut with a lock on the door.
An older dog curled up and sleeping in a dry doorway in Tbilsi, trying to avoid the rain.
Green fields overlook a reservoir in Georgia, Caucasus, with large dried up sections of lake bed.
A flea market in Tbilisi with vendors chatting next to their tea pots for sale.
A woman crouches down next to a donkey tied to a tree.
Train tracks framed through a square crack in a bridge in Georgia, Caucasus.
A rusted white and green coloured booth plastered in a few flyers.
Night time photo of Tbilisi, Georgia housing estate blocks with dozens of apartment lights turned on.
A dirt road leading south to Turkey cuts through a wild and lush plateau.
A pastel pink two-floored wooden hut in southern Georgia.
A small hut in a sleepy Georgian village with a wooden attic and concrete ground floor.
Close-up look of a metallic Soviet emblem welded onto a truck.
Steep vegetated cliffs of Dashbashi Canyon with the Church of St. George atop a hill on the right.
An abandoned farmhouse sits in an overgrown field near the Turkish border.
A rusted gate leading to an overgrown and abandoned garden.
An older woman with a black gown clutches her purse as she walks past a covered market in Kutaisi, Georgia.
A rustic looking concrete bridge stretches out across a train station in Georgia.
A one floor village house with an overgrown front garden in southern Georgia.
An old Georgian house in a mountain village, overgrown with vegetation.
A waterlogged dirt road cuts through agricultural fields lined by rows of evergreen trees.
Old farm house beside a dirt road in Georgia.
A collection of abandoned farmhouses sit in remote and verdant plains near the Turkish-Georgian border.
A big flock of white sheep wander beside the roadside with a herder.

My photography has been published in the following outlets:

Russia Beyond the Headlines logo.
Men's Running black text logo.
The New York Times logo.
Alpinist Magazine's logo.
ExplorersWeb online adventure news outlet logo.
Love Nature's logo with multiple colours and textures.
Russian Life logo in blue text.
Sidetracked Magazine logo in black and white.
Ripcord Adventure Journal logo in red, black and white.
Trek & Mountain Magazine's logo.
Geographical Magazine logo in white text with black background.
Action Asia Magazine logo.