Mount Kazbek
A snowy dormant volcano.
Alexey from Ekaterinburg, Russia — CC BY 2.0 · Saba sakhvadze — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alexkom000 — CC BY 4.0 · Roberto Strauss from Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland — CC BY 2.0 · Vyacheslav Argenberg — CC BY 4.0 · Boris Kuznetsov — CC BY 2.0 · Georgi1 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alexey Komarov — CC BY-SA 4.0
A national park in the Greater Caucasus around the town of Stepantsminda, in Georgia's far north-east, with snowy peaks, glaciers, green valleys, alpine meadows and old stone villages, among the most beautiful mountain country in Georgia despite its simple facilities. At its heart rises Mount Kazbek, a dormant volcano 5,054 metres high, the highest mountain in eastern Georgia, which last erupted about three thousand years ago. Its Georgian name, «Mqinvartsveri», means glacier peak, and glaciers flow down its flanks, among them the Gergeti glacier. Many walking trails start from town: the best known climbs to Gergeti Trinity Church and on to the Gergeti glacier for fit walkers, and others lead to the Sno valley, Juta village and the Truso valley. The park also holds historic sites, including old churches and the seventeenth-century Sno castle. Walking in the park is free, and the visitor centre in town provides maps and information. June to September is the best time; the weather changes quickly and nights are cold, while in winter snow covers the region and the road from Tbilisi may close briefly after storms.
A snowy dormant volcano.
For fit walkers.
Villages and a castle.
Around Stepantsminda, Kazbegi municipality, about 160 kilometres north of Tbilisi
Along the Georgian Military Road, about three hours by car or minibus, passing Ananuri fortress and the Gudauri resort; it is a winding mountain road.
