Stepantsminda, Georgia

Stepantsminda ( Kazbegi )

Stepantsminda (formerly Kazbegi) is a small town in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of north-eastern Georgia. Historically and ethnographically, the town is part of the Khevi province. The town is located along the banks of the Tergi River, 157 km. to the north of Tbilisi at an elevation of 1,740 meters above sea level.

The highway brings you straight into the main square, "Kazbegis moedani". From here "Kazbegis qucha" forks to the right, while the main road leads down to a bridge over the Tergi River then continues 15 km north to the Russian border in the Dariali Gorge. Immediately after the Tergi River bridge a side road turns up to Gergeti village on the west side of the valley, almost a suburb of Kazbegi.

Stepantsiminda is known for its scenic location in the Greater Caucasus Mountains, and is a center for trekkers and mountain climbing. Local attractions include the Stepantsminda Museum and Ethnographic Museum in town, and the Gergeti Trinity Church outside of town, as well as Mount Kazbegi itself and the alpine meadows and forests of the surrounding Nature Reserve.