Georgia — the country between Turkey and Russia, not the American state — has emerged as one of the most talked-about travel destinations in Europe-adjacent travel in 2024–2025. Here is an honest picture.
Why Georgia Has Become Popular
Four reasons: exceptional natural landscape (Greater Caucasus range with peaks above 5,000m, including Kazbegi and Svaneti), a wine culture that is genuinely ancient (the 8,000-year-old winemaking tradition using qvevri clay jars, a UNESCO intangible heritage), Tbilisi’s old town (Abanotubani sulfur bath district, Narikala fortress, balconied wooden houses), and low costs (a very comfortable week in Georgia costs €40–60/day including accommodation). The combination of these factors at this price point has no close equivalent in Europe proper.
Tbilisi
The Georgian capital has a population of 1.2 million and an old town that took 5 centuries to build around the Mtkvari River gorge. The sulfur bath district (Abanotubani) has operated for over 1,500 years — private baths are available (€15–30/hour/person) and are the city’s most distinctive experience. The Liberty Square to Rustaveli Avenue corridor is the civic centre. Fabrika, a repurposed Soviet factory-turned-creative-hub, is the best example of Tbilisi’s active arts scene. The food market at Dezerter’s Bazaar gives the best ground-level sense of the city. Tbilisi’s wine bar scene has become one of the best in the region for natural wine.
Kazbegi (Stepantsminda)
Three hours north of Tbilisi, at 1,700m altitude, Stepantsminda is the base for Gergeti Trinity Church — the 14th-century Georgian Orthodox church perched at 2,170m above the Caucasus valley, with the 5,047m Mount Kazbek behind it. The image is among Georgia’s most recognisable. The hike to the church takes 2.5–3 hours round trip; a Gergeti glacier day hike is possible with a guide. The Darial Gorge on the Russian Military Highway leading north passes through some of the most dramatic canyon scenery in the Caucasus.
Georgian Wine
Georgia claims to be the birthplace of wine, supported by 8,000-year-old archaeological evidence of qvevri (clay jar) winemaking in the Caucasus. The Kakheti wine region (3 hours from Tbilisi) is the main production area. Amber wine (skin-contact white wine fermented in qvevri for months) is the most distinctive Georgian style — bitter, tannic, complex, unlike mainstream white wine. The Alazani Valley has the highest density of estates open for tasting. Budget €10–25 for a winery tasting.
