Gergeti Trinity Church

Gergeti Trinity is the image Georgia is known by. The church stands on an isolated summit above Stepantsminda at 2,170 metres, with the 5,054-metre cone of Mount Kazbek rising behind it. When the cloud clears and the glacier appears, the view really does look the way it does in photographs, which is not always true of famous places.

The church was built in the 14th century and has a separate bell tower, both in undecorated mountain stone. Its position was strategic rather than scenic: in times of invasion, relics from Mtskheta and Tbilisi were carried up here, because an attacking force could not realistically reach the summit.

There are two ways up:

• On foot from Stepantsminda through Gergeti village — one and a half to two hours of steady climbing, roughly 500 metres of ascent
• By car on the narrow concrete road, resurfaced in recent years — steep, effectively single lane, with tight hairpins and few passing places

Behind the church, trails continue towards the Gergeti glacier and the Sabertse ridge. Those are full mountain hikes and need a separate day, plus proper footwear. The church is active, monks live here, and services are held regularly, so it is not simply a viewpoint.