Ushguli
Five medieval villages at the head of the Enguri gorge, among the highest places in Europe lived in all year round. Hard to reach, they have kept their Svan towers, stone defensive houses that rise over the rooftops, and form part of the Upper Svaneti World Heritage Site.
- Where
- Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Georgia
- Grade
- UNESCO heritage
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 8 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 42.9178, 43.0157
Get the Ushguli stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Ushguli. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti volume with your photos and a note.
Near Ushguli
Tetnuldi 13 km
A tall, pointed peak in the central Greater Caucasus above Svaneti, by most counts the tenth highest in the range. Glaciers cover its slopes above about 3,000 metres, the largest of them the Adishi glacier.
Nikortsminda Cathedral 51 km
An early 11th century cathedral in the village of Nikortsminda, in the mountain region of Racha. Its outer walls are covered with richly carved stone, and its interior is painted with frescoes.
Kinchkha Waterfall 60 km
A waterfall falling in three steps down the chalk slopes of the Okatse gorge near the village of Kinchkha. The upper drop is 25 metres, the main fall 70 and the lowest 20, and marked trails lead to it and to the nearby Lomina falls.
Okatse Canyon 64 km
A deep canyon cut by the Okatse river near the village of Zeda Gordi in Imereti. A walkway is fixed to the side of the cliff, ending in a platform that hangs out over the drop to the water far below.
Prometheus Cave 69 km
A karst cave near the village of Kumistavi, close to Tskaltubo in Imereti. A path leads through a run of halls full of stalactites and stalagmites, and the visit can end with a boat ride along the underground river.
Katskhi Pillar 72 km
A limestone column about 40 metres high standing alone above the small valley of the Katskhura, near Chiatura. A tiny church sits on its flat summit, reached only by a steep iron ladder.
Gelati Monastery 72 km
A monastery and academy founded in 1106 by King David IV, known as the Builder, on a hill near Kutaisi. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the king lies buried at its gate, and the apse of its main church holds a great mosaic of the Virgin.
Motsameta Monastery 74 km
A monastery on a clifftop promontory in a bend of the Tskaltsitela river, about 6 km northeast of Kutaisi. Its name means place of martyrs, after two brothers who are revered here.
Questions
Where is Ushguli?
Ushguli is in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Georgia. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Tetnuldi (13 km), Nikortsminda Cathedral (51 km), Kinchkha Waterfall (60 km).
How do I get the Ushguli stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Ushguli and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Ushguli before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.