Mestia, Georgia ·
Svaneti Towers
Medieval stone towers in the clouds. Upper Svaneti after the spring thaw, when waterfalls outnumber roads.
Svaneti is what happens when a civilization builds in a place the rest of the world forgot about. The towers — defensive, medieval, still standing after a thousand years — are not monuments. People live in their shadows. Some still live inside.
The trail to Koruldi Lakes climbs through cow pastures and wildflower meadows into a landscape that belongs in a different century. At 2700m you look down on Mestia and the towers look like chess pieces on a green board.