Georgia: at the crossroads of Europe and Asia

The Europe/Asia boundary is the most heavily debated. Geographically, Georgia's division between Europe and Asia is pretty clear - the towering Caucasus Mountains are Europe's highest, and south of it lies Asia. Culturally, however, Georgia is more European, but with its own unique culture with a rich history, and plenty of influence from Asia. The Georgian language is part of its own Kartvelian language, unlike all of the languages surrounding it being Turkic or Indo-European. Most Georgians support joining the European Union, and there are EU flags all over Tbilisi despite not being part of the EU. But enough of that, let's get to the trip report.

I spent 10 days in and around Tbilisi. I had initially planned to head to Batumi, but I enjoyed Tbilisi so much I stayed there for the full duration with mostly improvised/unplanned wanders around the city. Of course, I headed for multiple day trips. But first, Tbilisi itself. It's one of the most unique cities I've visited, with diverse architecture, right from the Georgian cross-dome from the medieval ages, to Soviet-era brutalism, to modern experiments. My favourite thing about Georgia was simply walking around Tbilisi itself. It's a hilly city, which gives it an interesting geography similar to Lisbon or Istanbul with dynamic cityscapes. It's not the most accessible given the hills; however, it has excellent public transportation. The metro is super cool, going way down - built during the height of the Cold War, it was also intended to double up as nuclear bunkers.

My favourite spot outside of Tbilisi was Mtskheta, one of the world's oldest cities. Other highlights were Kazbegi - featuring the spectacular Caucasus Mountains, Kakheti - claimed to be the world's oldest wine region, Ananuri fortress, and Uplistsikhe cave town. Two whimsical destinations were Gori, the birthplace of Stalin, where you can buy Stalin souvenirs for your commie friends. And scenic Sighnaghi, the "city of love". Side-note: the day tours from Tbilisi were all well organised with great tour guides, probably the best I've experienced. You'll need them though as the tourist infrastructure is lacking otherwise, particularly in Kazbegi. Tbilisi itself is very accessible, as mentioned. Although Georgia is getting more expensive since the pandemic, it is still relatively affordable.

I'm not sure if Georgia will be for everyone, but if you're into something that feels different, yet quite European, it's one worth considering. Tbilisi is an absolutely essential visit for architecture and urbex lovers.

As always, feel free to AMA! Locations for each image is in the captions.