Sairme Pillars

The Sairme Pillars are the strangest sight in Lechkhumi — huge limestone towers growing out of a rocky massif, as if someone had hammered them into the forest on purpose. The name comes from deer: "sairme" means "place of red deer", and locals say the animals really were plentiful here once.

The pillars stand between the villages of Alpana and Chreloba, on the right bank of the Rioni, about 28 km from Tsageri. It is a protected natural monument: an erosion-carved karst massif whose walls and free-standing columns rear up high above the valley. Near the top of the trail lie the ruins of a medieval Virgin Mary church — a sign that this place was considered holy centuries ago.

What to expect:

• A roughly 3 km trail from the road, through forest, on a gentle climb
• Views over the Rioni valley, the Khvamli massif and the Lechkhumi ridges
• The pillar walls themselves, photogenic from every angle

The walking is easy but waymarking is thin, so download a GPS track in advance. Late spring to autumn is the comfortable window; in winter snow hides the path and route-finding gets awkward. Crowds are close to zero — there is a good chance you will have the pillars entirely to yourself.