By Manuela Kosch
Surrounded by the mountains of the Caucasus, the Gergeti Trinity Chruch is one of the most famous travel destinations in Georgia. The church was built in the 14th century and is the only cross-cupola church in Khevi province. Even during the soviet era, when all religious services were prohibited, the church remained a popular tourist destination. Only in the 1990s was the church was returned to the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Nowadays, it is not only a church that is located above Stepantsminda, but also a monastery. In spite of the very cold temperatures, monks live in a building right next to the church. Unlike other churches in Georgia, taking pictures is not allowed inside the holy walls.
The church was named after the village Gergeti, situated on the right side of the river Tergi, opposite Stepantsminda. Stepantsminda can be found in the north of Georgia in the region of Mtsketa-Mtianeti. From 1921 to 2006, the name Stepantsminda was changed to Kazbegi, in honor to the georgian writer Aleksandre Kazbegi.
The house where Kazbegi was born has been rebuilt into a museum of local history. You can discover an interesting display of handwritten manuscripts and treasure that was found in 1877- silver cups, jars, bracelets and other valuable items from the 4th and 5th century, as well as a sword and pipe which once belonged to Alexander Pushkin. ( http://www.heritagesites.ge/ )
But the museum and Gergeti Trinity Church are not the only reason to travel to Stepantsminda. From the church, you have a stunning view over Mount Kazbek. At 5,047 meters, Mount Kazbek is one of the highest mountains in Georgia and lays on the border between Russia and Georgia.
The mountain is covered by various glaciers and permanent snow-fields. The summit was first climbed in 1868 by English and French alpinists. In summer the peak can be reached with the Gergeti Trinity Church as a start point, but the walk, if you dare to attempt it, will take around five days and can only be done in good weather conditions. And because weather changes very quickly in this region, the hike needs good reliable preparation.
Kazbek is believed by some to be the mountain of Greek mythology on which Prometheus was chained because he stole the light from the gods.
With a 4x4 you can drive from Stepantsminda (1,730m) to the Gergeti Trinity Church (2,170m), a journey which takes just ten minutes. The other option is to walk up the serpentine road and through a thorny forest. In wintertime, with snow on the path, it takes around 1.5 hours to reach the church.
From Tbilisi it’s a three-hour drive to Stepantsminda. It being the military highway to Russia, you’ll pass a lot of lorries on the way. Also on the way, you can visit the Ananuri Fortress, a complex of religious and military buildings beautifully situated overlooking the Jinvali Reservoir. Coming from Tbilisi, you also pass the ski resort of Gudauri near which is the colorful Arch of Friendship viewpoint- soon to be revamped with proper tourist infrastructure, including a cafe. It’s another place with a stunning view of the Caucasus mountains.
The trip is feasible in one day but there are plenty of hostels and hotels in Stepantsminda and there are other destinations to visit in the region, for example the Truso Valley. The tour operator Georgien WB Tours offers one or two day trips to the region with a guide fluent in English, German, French, Russian and Georgian, though the tour operator specializes in German tours. Georgien WB Tours also offers tours to other destinations – from one day trips to excursions that last several days. ( https://georgienwbtours.com/ )