Georgia is famous for its stunning natural beauty. It has a great variety of climate zones, from Mediterranean to subtropical, as well as natural landscapes, both at the seaside and high mountains, deserts and vineyards, forests and glaciers.
The country is located between the Greater Caucasus Range and the Lesser Caucasus, protecting it from cold northern winds, as well as southern heat. These two ranges are connected by the Likhi Range, which separates the kolkhida Lowland from the Kura-Aras Lowland.
Mtkvari (Kura) is the largest river in Georgia. It starts in Turkey and falls in Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan. Other rivers to be mentioned are Rioni in the west and Alazani in the east. The largest lake is Paravani.
Alpine zone starts from 3000 meters above the sea level. The highest peaks of the Greater Caucasus on Georgian territory are Shkhara (5068m), Janga (5059m), Kazbegi (5047m) and Ushba (4700m).
Georgia is full of National Parks and Sanctuaries. The largest of them is Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park covering 1% of the whole territory of the country.
The Botanical Gardens of Tbilisi and Batumi are also worth visiting. Georgia has some unique caves of amazing natural variety and beauty, Promete and Sataplia in western part among the most visited ones.
Mountain Regions
Nothing compares to the beauty and charm of Georgian mountains.
In the near vicinity of Tbilisi starts Georgian-Military Highway leading up to Kazbegi (Stepantsminda), noted by famous writers and poets like A.Dumas, A.Pushkin, M.Lermontov, etc.
Upper Svaneti, with its absolutely unique architecture, cuisine and lifestyle, in the north-western part of Georgia is a must for every tourist. There are highest peaks, like Shkhara (5068m), and Ushguli Village (2200), the highest settlement in Europe.
Other mountain regions, like Mta-Tusheti, Racha and Khevsureti have their own assets, but they are harder to get to, because of bad roads.