Mestia

Mestia, the leading regional centre of Zemo, Upper Svaneti, 456 km from Georgia’s capital city, Tbilisi, 1,500 meters above sea level, is a sprawling conglomeration of ten hamlets dotted with picturesque Svan towers. The oldest above the river on the northern side of town are Lekhtagi in the northwest and Lanchvali and Lagami to the northeast.
From the centre of Mestia, hike up to the glaciers at the foot of Mount Ushba or ride horses through the pristine alpine meadows. Ski resorts in Hatsvali and Tetnuldi attract winter sports lovers who are looking for new places and challenges. Tourists interested in religious history will find many examples of wall paintings, frescoes, and icons from the Middle Ages in the churches around Mestia. Discover medieval weaponry, unique icons and engravings, silver, iron, and copper ornaments, jewellery, textile and ethnographic artifacts that tell the story of the Svan lifestyle.