From Tbilisi to Tusheti, this little-known country, with its rich and warm identity, reveals cultural treasures and wild lands, where time seems to have stood still.

Georgia's charm takes hold as soon as you arrive in Tbilisi. Although the country was under Russian rule from the early 1800s, only regaining its sovereignty in 1991, it has managed to preserve its identity intact, from its architecture to its alphabet. Unlike some other countries, its capital has not been disfigured by Soviet-era buildings; its heart retains beautiful, typically Georgian houses with ornate wooden balconies, interspersed with elegant 19th-century buildings reflecting the taste of the Romanovs.

While some buildings are in disrepair, a restoration program is revitalizing this heritage, bringing out the full charm of the steep alleyways of the old town. These alleyways unfold at the foot of the Narikala fortress, whose name, meaning "impregnable," was given to it by the Persians who built it in the 4th century. Below lie the Abanotubani sulfur baths, which captivated Marco Polo during his stay in this Silk Road stop, a melting pot of cultures.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site after fifteen centuries of existence, Tbilisi offers a wonderful introduction to the rich history and culture of the country, which is also one of the earliest Christian lands. In the 6th century, on what is now the border with Azerbaijan, David Gareja and other Assyrian monks established their faith in this arid region, settling in caves that became monasteries, some of the oldest in the world. This site finds its echo in the exceptional cave monastery complex of Vardzia, a stone's throw from the Armenian border, dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries.

Georgia holds many other treasures, this time natural ones. After rejuvenating themselves with the thermal waters of Borjomi, which enjoyed its heyday in the 8th century, hikers will appreciate the marked trails of the vast Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, where they can explore its forests that hug the contours of the land for several days. Since the country boasts a winemaking tradition spanning 000 years, others will recharge in the Kakheti wine region, where, as throughout Georgia, they will feast on a variety of dishes seasoned with aromatic herbs, dumplings called khinkali, fruits, and sweets known as churchkhela. Led by the tamada (a traditional Georgian speaker) who offers toasts, this feast can conclude with a polyphonic song that resonates with everyone's hearts in unison.

The journey continues to the most remote region, Tusheti, bordering Chechnya and Dagestan. After placing ourselves under the protection of Saint George at Alaverdi Cathedral, we begin the ascent to Omalo, along one of the most dangerous tracks in the world, the only access to this land, free of its snow cover for only four months a year, when shepherds return to their summer pastures. Beyond the first pass, pristine panoramas unfold, where valleys and mountains are dotted with watchtowers that have guarded against invasions for centuries, and scattered with rare villages perched at altitudes of over 2000 meters.

Mostly abandoned, these villages lend a wild, poetic quality to the landscape. In the background, the eternally pristine peaks of the Greater Caucasus rise to nearly 4000 meters. Further west, along the Russian border, less difficult to access and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Svaneti mirrors Tusheti with its hamlets bristling with defensive towers: Mestia, but especially Ushguli. A few hours from Tbilisi, Kazbegi National Park offers other breathtaking panoramas, such as the silhouette of the Gergeti Trinity Church, set against the backdrop of Mount Kazbek, with which it appears to be perfectly aligned.

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