Have you even been to a place which such incredible, raw nature that it leaves you speechless?
We’ve had a few of those moments during our travels, but Stepantsminda, Georgia, definitely ranks among the most memorable locations we’ve visited.
Still popularly known as Kazbegi, this small town is located at an altitude of 5580 feet (1700 meters), in a valley completely surrounded by the stunning peaks of the Greater Caucasus. These mountains provide visitors to Stepantsminda with a breathtaking scenery, with some of the highest peaks topping 9845 feet (3000 meters).
It also goes without saying that the region is an extremely popular destination for trekkers. There are multiple trails of varying difficulty; some are more adapted to beginners and amateurs, while others lead high up into the mountains and require more experience and preparation.
In our Kazbegi travel guide we’ll share with you how we reached this remote region of Georgia and what we enjoyed the most about our time there. We’ll also go over our experience hiking to the Gergeti Trinity Church, one of the most popular trails in the region.
Let’s get started!
How we travelled from Tbilisi to Stepantsminda
With a population of just over 1300 people, Stepantsminda is a small dot in the vastness of the Caucasus mountains.
As such, it goes without saying that there is no train, definitely no airport and no highway connecting this town to the rest of the country. Renting a car is one option, but the roads leading up the mountains are treacherous, rough and congested, and should only be tackled by expert drivers.
The most common way to reach Stepantsminda is by marshrutka. These shared busses and vans are a remnant of the time when the country was under Soviet occupation, and are a popular method of transportation in the Caucasus region. Taking a ride in a marshrutka is also one of the scariest things we’ve ever done, so much so that we wrote an in-depth post about our experience. We really recommend reading it before your trip, so that you can decide for yourself which method of transportation you’d prefer to use.
The weather can be a little unpredictable
Due to the altitude and the extreme location, the weather in Stepantsminda can change on a dime, especially during spring and summer.
Even sunny days can become clouded and rainy in a matter of hours, which can be a serious hazard if you’re caught by bad weather while on a hike. During the two days we were there, the weather always started sunny in the morning and took a turn for the worse in the early afternoon.
Most hikes also have a large altitude increase, and will usually bring you above 6560 feet (2000 meters). You can expect a drop in temperature and mildly strong winds as you climb higher, so we recommend packing a light fleece jumper to protect yourself from the swings in temperature. We also packed a waterproof jacket, just in case we got caught out in the open by bad weather. Finally, while it wasn’t the case for us, short snowfalls in Stepantsminda are a possibility as far as May, so make sure to keep an eye on the weather forecast!
There aren’t a lot of eateries to choose from
Since Stepantsminda is so small, there aren’t a whole lot of restaurants to choose from.
Still, there are some amazing spots majority that serve typical Georgian dishes, so visiting Stepantsminda is a great opportunity to try out the local cuisine.
We particularly loved a small restaurant in Gergeti, half-way down the street that leads to the Trinity Church trailhead. The owner was incredibly friendly and welcoming, and the food authentic and delicious. He takes care of all tables by himself so the service is indeed very slow, but we promise it’s worth the wait. If you’re in a rush you can simply ask him which dishes are the fastest, which is how we ended up with a lamb soup that was definitely one of the highlights of our visit.
Breakfast can also be particularly tricky to get your hands on, especially if you’re getting up early to hit the trails, since most places will be closed until 9h30-10h00am. It’s worth seeing if you can book an accommodation that serves breakfast, otherwise your best bet is the local SPAR supermarket that opens at 8h00am. In all fairness, while the cookies we bought there were inedible, their khachapuri wasn’t even half bad.
Be careful around dogs
Along with a surprising number of cows that wander around as they please, Stepantsminda is also full of stray dogs.
From small terriers to giant herders, we got the impression that these dogs were a lot more skittish than the ones in Tbilisi, and we definitely didn’t feel as comfortable around them.
Still, they didn’t bother us much apart from a giant black mastiff that that scared us half to death when he suddenly appeared on top of a wall we were walking next to few that took a bit too much interest in our breakfast. Overall, it’s best you keep your distance and ignore any dog you come across, especially since rabies is a rare but still very serious risk in Georgia that is more prevalent in rural regions.
Hiking the Gergeti Trinity Church
The Gergeti Trinity Church is an old 14th-century Orthodox church sitting on a mountain top that overlooks Stepantsminda and the village of Gergeti.
While this popular tourist attraction can be easily reached by taking a taxi that will drop you off on its door steps, a more adventurous way to get there is to hike up the trail that starts in Gergeti, and that leads all the way up the mountain and to the church. It’s one of the most popular hikes in the region, and one we had an absolute blast tackling!
This is a medium-difficulty hike that shouldn’t give you too much trouble if you’re in average physical shape. With that said, with a total elevation gain of 1312 feet (400 meters) the trail is very steep, and can also sometimes be infuriatingly slippery due to the loose and gravelly terrain. This is especially noticeable in the very first part of the trail, which is the steepest and most challenging, especially on the way down. It’s also worth mentioning that we hiked all the way up with light trail shoes and jeans, so you’ll probably have an easier time if you use more technical gear such as boots and hiking poles.
The trail also intersects a water stream in two different spots, and at one point the water actually streams directly down the trail. You’ll have to get your feet wet to continue, although the water actually helps bind the loose rock and dirt together and provides a much better footing than pretty much anywhere else on the path.
As you approach the church, the trail becomes a little more forgiving and opens up to rolling grassy hills. Once you make it to the top, you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular view over the valley below and the Caucasus mountains. Our highlight of this viewpoint definitely was seeing Mount Kazbek which, at 16,581 feet (5,054 meters), is one of the highest peaks in the region. While small, the church itself was also fascinating to visit.
It’s important we mention that the dress code for women is stricter there than in other Orthodox churches we visited in Georgia, and requires women to cover head, shoulders and to wear a skirt, which you can “do” by borrowing a sarong at the entrance.
Overall, it took us just over two hours to reach the top at a relaxed pace, and just over an hour to get back down. Despite what we had expected, the descent was a lot easier than the climb, with the exception of the section at the beginning of the trail.
While definitely a more technical hike than what you’d normally find in a popular tourist destination, we really loved spending a few hours in nature, and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge, so we recommend checking out if you’re in Stepantsminda, even if you’re travelling without any technical equipment.
And there you have it, this was our experience in Stepantsminda.
We were only there for a few days, but seriously considered scrapping the rest of our plans just to stay a bit longer. While that wasn’t possible this time, we’ll surely be going back to enjoy more of what this gem of the Caucasus has to offer!
