So, let’s get the obvious thing out of the way first. When you tell someone you’re heading to Georgia, half the time they’ll ask if you’re catching a Braves game or visiting Savannah. But Georgia is a country. A real, sovereign nation tucked into the Caucasus Mountains, sandwiched between Russia and Turkey. It’s been there for thousands of years. Honestly, it’s one of those places that feels like a glitch in the matrix because it somehow packs every possible landscape into a space roughly the size of West Virginia.
You've got the Black Sea on one side and 16,000-foot peaks on the other. It’s wild.
People often ask me, "Is it Europe or Asia?" The answer is basically: yes. Geographically, it’s at the crossroads. Mentally and culturally? They’re aiming for the EU. In 2026, this distinction matters more than ever as the country pushes for a future that looks West while sitting firmly in the East.
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The Wine "Birthplace" Isn't Just Marketing
If you think the French or Italians invented wine, Georgian historians would like a word. There’s actual archaeological evidence—specifically grape pips found in clay jars at Gadachrili Gora—proving that people here were fermenting juice 8,000 years ago. That’s Neolithic.
They don’t just use barrels, either. They use something called a Qvevri.
Imagine a massive, egg-shaped clay pot buried in the ground. They toss the grapes in—skins, stems, seeds, everything—and let it sit. The result is "Amber Wine." It’s not white, and it’s definitely not rosé. It tastes like dried apricots, nuts, and a bit of the earth itself. It’s an acquired taste, but once you get it, Chardonnay starts to feel a bit boring.
Why the Language Looks Like Elvish
You’ll see signs in Tbilisi that look like a bunch of beautiful, curly loops. That’s the Georgian alphabet, Mkhedruli. It’s one of the 14 unique scripts in the world. Nobody else uses it. It doesn’t look like Latin, Cyrillic, or Arabic.
The language itself is a bit of a linguistic island. It belongs to the Kartvelian family, which has no proven relation to any other language group on the planet.
- It has no genders (no "he" or "she").
- It has 33 letters.
- The word for "father" is mama.
- The word for "mother" is deda.
Yeah, that last one trips up every tourist. You’ll be calling your mom "dad" for the first three days until your brain re-wires.
Georgia Is a Country of Mountains and Cave Cities
The Caucasus are no joke. Everyone talks about the Alps, but the Greater Caucasus are actually higher. Mount Shkhara hits over 17,000 feet. If you head up to the Svaneti region, you’ll find villages like Ushguli. It’s one of the highest permanently inhabited settlements in Europe (around 7,000 feet).
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The landscape is dotted with these weird medieval stone towers. Families used to hide in them during blood feuds or invasions. It looks like a movie set, but people still live there, baking bread and herding cattle.
Then you have the caves. Vardzia is a massive 12th-century cave monastery carved into the side of a cliff. It once had thirteen levels and thousands of rooms. It was basically an invisible city until an earthquake sheared off the front of the mountain, exposing the tunnels like a giant dollhouse. Standing there, you realize how much history is literally baked into the rocks.
The "Guest is a Gift from God" Rule
Hospitality here is borderline aggressive. There’s a saying: "A guest is a gift from God." If you find yourself in a village, don’t be surprised if a random local invites you in for a Supra.
A Supra is a traditional feast led by a Tamada (toastmaster). This person’s entire job is to lead a series of philosophical, funny, or deeply emotional toasts. You don’t just sip your wine. You wait for the toast, listen, and then drink.
The food usually involves:
- Khachapuri: Bread filled with gooey cheese. The Adjarian version looks like a boat and has a raw egg and a stick of butter floating in the middle. You swirl it together and dip the crust. It’s a heart attack on a plate and worth every calorie.
- Khinkali: Massive meat dumplings. There is a specific way to eat them. You grab the "handle" (the doughy top), bite a small hole, suck out the hot broth, and then eat the rest. Never eat the handle. If you do, everyone knows you're a tourist.
Modern Realities and the 2026 Landscape
It’s not all wine and mountains. Because Georgia is a country that was once part of the Soviet Union, it has some complicated baggage. Russia still occupies about 20% of the territory (Abkhazia and South Ossetia). You’ll see "Russia is an occupier" stickers on many street corners in Tbilisi.
As of early 2026, the political vibe is pretty tense but vibrant. The tourism numbers are through the roof—over 7.8 million visitors in 2025 alone. People are flocking to Batumi for the Black Sea casinos and to Kutaisi for the low-cost flights.
Tbilisi is the heart of it all. It’s a city where a 4th-century fortress overlooks a ultra-modern glass bridge and a nightclub (Bassiani) located in a former Soviet swimming pool. It’s gritty, beautiful, and smells slightly of sulfur because of the natural hot springs in the Old Town.
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Practical Steps for Your Trip
If you’re actually planning to go, don’t just stay in the capital.
- Download Bolt: It’s the local Uber. It’s incredibly cheap and saves you from haggling with old-school taxi drivers who will definitely overcharge you.
- Get a Magti SIM: Their 4G coverage works even in remote mountain passes where you’d expect zero signal.
- Learn "Gamarjoba": It means hello. Literally, it translates to "Victory."
- Watch the Wine: Homemade wine (the stuff in plastic Coke bottles at the market) can be 14% alcohol and hit you like a freight train. Tread lightly.
The best time to visit is May/June or September/October. The summers are punishingly hot in the lowlands, and winter turns the mountain roads into icy death traps unless you're there specifically to ski in Gudauri.
Actionable Insights for Travelers
- Currency: They use the Lari (GEL). Most places in cities take cards, but carry cash for the mountain "marshrutkas" (minibuses).
- Safety: It is remarkably safe. Crime against tourists is very low, though the driving is "creative," to put it mildly.
- Visa: Most Western passport holders get a 365-day visa-free entry. You can literally live there for a year just by showing up.
Georgia isn't a place you just visit; it's a place that tends to ruin other vacations for you because nothing else quite matches the intensity of the food, the height of the mountains, or the sincerity of the people.