Svaneti

　　Attraction Introduction       Today, no one dares to venture into Svaneti without the accompaniment of Svans. Located in the central Caucasus Mountains, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, Svaneti is virtually inaccessible to outsiders. It takes at least three days of driving from Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, to reach these remote valleys, crossing a treacherous 250-kilometer stretch.

　　    Travelers risk being attacked by bandits, so driving at night is unwise. Although Georgia gained independence as early as 1991, Russian soldiers in bulletproof vests still patrol the main entrances to the valleys in armored tanks. The region features rugged terrain and a tough local culture, with the Svans having settled here since ancient times.

　　    Some historians claim their ancestors were Semitic people who migrated from Lower Mesopotamia (today’s Iraq) 5,000 years ago.

　　Highlights

　　    Today, no one dares to venture into Svaneti without the accompaniment of Svans. Located in the central Caucasus Mountains, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, Svaneti is virtually inaccessible to outsiders.

　　    It takes at least three days of driving from Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, to reach these remote valleys, crossing a treacherous 250-kilometer stretch.

　　 Tbilisi, Georgia