Adjara: Rest like a local

Goderdzi Pass and Beshumi Resort

Roerich told such a legend about the creation of mountains: “When the planetary Creator worked on the design of the firmament, he drew attention to the fertile plains, which could give people a calm bread-growing. But the Mother of Peace said, It is true that people will find bread and trade on the plains, but when gold pollutes the plains, where will the pure in spirit go to strengthen them? Or let them have wings, or let them be given mountains to save themselves from gold.

Hulo district is the highest mountainous region of Adjara. And, despite the fact that the absolute value of the heights of 1000-2200 meters is not amazing, you need to climb to this height from scratch, from the blue Black Sea, and also - the journey will begin with the humid subtropics. You will see the Mahunzeti Falls and the arched bridge of the time of Queen Tamara, and I will tell you about the furry Adjara mountains and plants that grow in the humid subtropics. And about who, how and why built arched medieval bridges across fast mountain rivers.

Further, the road will wind along the gorge of the Adjaristskali River, and our conversation with you will flow from the lush mountain vegetation to the turbulent history of Adjara. We will talk about what is a high-altitude belt, that is, a natural change of natural zones and landscapes in the mountains. How many mountain systems of the world are similar and how they differ. And, passing the picturesque mountain villages, we will talk about the fate of Upper Adjara. About the centuries-old struggle and close intertwining with Muslim culture, about the cost of the Adjarians managed to preserve their culture: music, dance, cuisine.

By the way, Adjarian cuisine is not only khachapuri in Adjarian. There are a lot of gastronomic surprises. And if you still think that Georgian cuisine is XXX (khachapuri, khinkali, harcho) with variations, depending on the region - then we are coming to you!

In the village of Hulo you will find the most unusual public transport of Adjara - a unique cable car, without a single pole stretched over the gorge. We will go up to the very tiny village of Tago, get another portion of fascinating views and have a small picnic.

And then we are waiting for Goderdzi Pass, alpine meadows and Green Lake with transparent water that does not freeze even in winter. The road from the pass to the lake is beautiful. On the right side - alpine meadows, on the left hand a coniferous forest. On the way we will meet the Ajar villages.

In the evening we will reach the Adjarian mountain resort of Beshumi. What's that name for? According to legend, the place Beshumi got its name from the Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich Romanov, who near these places was treated for tuberculosis. “How beautiful it is, what a quiet place,” said the Grand Duke, amazed by the local beauty.

Nowadays, the peculiarity of Beshumi is that it is difficult to meet a tourist here. Usually in Beshumi rest and escape from the summer heat residents of the cities of Batumi and Kobuletti. They live in special summer wooden houses scattered in alpine meadows. These houses are a bizarre sight, especially in the morning fog.

In Beshumi, we check into a hotel, have dinner, if we have the strength, we walk around the neighborhood.

On the second day, we get up early, have breakfast and go for a walk in the Alpine Botanical Garden. I will tell you about the features of the alpine meadows of different mountain systems of the world. But the most amazing thing that awaits us is not even plants, or rather not quite plants. This is Jara - traditional beehives made of hollow logs, which since ancient times were used in Georgia to domesticate bees. You will learn how the Adjarians learned to reproduce "bee trees", what features such apiaries have and, of course, try delicious mountain honey.

After a morning walk through the alpine meadows, we begin to descend to Batumi. On the way, we will make several stops in the picturesque surroundings of the village of Shuakhevi, see traditional wooden houses, talk about how the life of a resident of such a village is arranged and what options there are for walking through forests, meadows and shepherding sites for us, travelers.

“The ability of a simple Georgian peasant to build his home where the most expressive landscape opens, sometimes preferring the beauty of nature to the comforts of life, has always amazed me,” wrote architect Georgy Chakhava. You and I will be surprised, and we will probably be hungry.

A worthy finale of our trip will be dinner on a trout farm.

• guide
• transportation
• Food and accommodation are paid additionally