✨The Journal of Peace and Reflection : Traveling to Svaneti for a Snowy Mountain Adventure

We decided to take a little tour to Svaneti while we were in Tbilisi. It was our second time doing this. We went once about five years ago when we visited Georgia, when we were on our way to move to Egypt. That time it was summer, and we wanted to see it with some snow. So we booked a trip and went with a group of mostly Chinese and Asian tourists who were visiting for the Chinese New Year.

We made a few stops on the way. The first was at a reservoir that was filled with water during soviet times. We were told that there is a city under the water, and they had to relocate people back then. It was a big deal.

Nestled in the mountains about 70 kilometers north of Tbilisi lies the striking turquoise waters of the Zhinvali Reservoir, a place of remarkable beauty with a complicated past. The reservoir was created in the 1970s and 1980s during the construction of the Zhinvali Dam, part of a large Soviet infrastructure project designed to generate hydroelectric power and provide drinking water for the growing capital.

As the dam filled, the Aragvi River valley slowly disappeared beneath the rising water. Several villages, along with homes, farmland, roads, and centuries-old structures, were submerged, and residents were relocated to new settlements. For many families, it meant leaving behind not just houses but entire landscapes of memory, churchyards, orchards, and the rhythms of rural life that had existed there for generations.

Today, the reservoir is best known for its vivid blue water and scenic views along the Georgian Military Highway, but traces of the lost valley still linger beneath the surface. When water levels drop, the ruins of an old stone church occasionally emerge from the reservoir, a haunting reminder of what once stood there.

Although the water was low when we visited, I did not see any such structures sticking out (and I looked for them).

We continued along the highway and had to wait for about 20 minutes behind a line of trucks for the one-way tunnels to open. The landscape at this point had turned to snow, and the mountains stood around us in their grandeur. We passed through Bakuriana ski resort, which was busy, and then onward towards Svaneti and the church that stands on the hill overlooking the valley below. The weather was cold and extremely windy, but the views were absolutely spectacular.

We met a friend at the viewpoint to the resevoir.

Inside the church at Ananuri Fortress.

The fortress overlooking the reservoir. We were
told that when the water is low, you can see buildings
sticking out of the mud.

A bear at a restaurant where we ate lunch.

Climbing into the mountains.

High above the mountain town of Stepantsminda sits one of the most iconic landmarks in the Caucasus: the 14th-century Gergeti Trinity Church. Perched at about 2,170 meters (7,120 feet) on a ridge beneath the massive peak of Mount Kazbek, the church appears almost impossibly placed, as if it grew directly out of the mountainside. Built sometime in the 1300s by an unknown architect, it is the only cross-cupola church in the historic Khevi region. For centuries, the church served not only as a place of worship but also as a refuge; during times of invasion, sacred relics from the ancient capital of Mtskheta, including the Cross of Saint Nino, were brought here for safekeeping.

Just beyond the church is a small viewpoint ridge that many visitors climb to after reaching the plateau. From here, the view opens dramatically: the church sits alone on green alpine meadows while the snow-covered cone of Mount Kazbek rises behind it. The panorama stretches across the Tergi River valley and the rooftops of Stepantsminda far below. The viewpoint is only about a 10–30 minute walk from the church, but it creates the classic postcard scene: stone church, open sky, and the towering Caucasus peaks.

For travelers, the setting feels almost mythic. Local folklore says that the hero Amirani, Georgia’s version of Prometheus, was chained to Mount Kazbek after stealing fire for humanity. Standing at the viewpoint with the wind rushing across the plateau, it’s easy to understand how landscapes like this inspired such legends. The church remains active today, and despite centuries of change, from medieval kingdoms to Soviet rule, it continues to watch quietly over the valley below.