{"id":12986,"date":"2026-03-04T22:42:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T21:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ilupin.com\/en\/?page_id=12986"},"modified":"2026-04-01T22:22:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T20:22:02","slug":"2025-04-03-georgian-military-road","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ilupin.com\/en\/travels\/asia\/georgia\/2025-04-03-georgian-military-road\/","title":{"rendered":"Georgian Military Road"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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  1. The Zhinvali Reservoir near the hydroelectric dam<\/a> on the banks of the Aragvi River. Renowned for its impressive depth and incredible colour.\n<\/li>\n\n
  2. Little-known but charming medieval fortress of Mere<\/a> eight stories high, perched on a picturesque hillside.\n<\/li>\n\n
  3. On the banks of two Aragvi<\/a>.\n<\/li>\n\n
  4. Turkish snails meditate.\n<\/li>\n\n
  5. The 23rd<\/sup> bureau of the construction company China Railway Group. The Middle Kingdom is actively working to improve Georgian infrastructure.\n<\/li>\n\n
  6. The town of Kanobi.\n<\/li>\n\n
  7. A little off the Military Road there\u2019s the village of Sno, with the impregnable 16th<\/sup>-century<\/span> Gudushauri Fortress<\/a>. \n<\/li>\n\n
  8. Clippety-clop.\n<\/li>\n\n
  9. Vakhtang Gorgasali<\/a>, the founder of Tiflis.\n<\/li>\n\n
  10. Caucasus frogs are busy.\n<\/li>\n\n
  11. Incredible stone heads<\/a> by Merab Piranashvili (Christ and Georgian poets) just steps away from the fortress.\n<\/li>\n\n
  12. The final destination of the long journey is the townlet of Stepantsminda<\/a> at the foot of Mount Kazbek.\n<\/li>\n\n
  13. Some water would be nice.\n<\/li>\n\n
  14. For a short drive to Gergeti Trinity Church<\/a>, local rip-off<\/span> artists ask more than a taxi driver would charge for a 6-hour<\/span> round trip from Tbilisi.\n<\/li>\n\n
  15. In good weather, the views are quite impressive, but you can never tell in advance.\n<\/li>\n\n
  16. I was a little luckier on the way back with the Friendship Arch<\/a>, whose main advantage is its well-chosen location and 2,384 m altitude.\n<\/li>\n\n
  17. Up close, it\u2019s quite monstrous, like almost all the works of the gigantomaniac Tsereteli. The mosaic frescoes, however, weren\u2019t created by him.\n<\/li>\n\n
  18. But what views it offers, wow!\n<\/li>\n\n
  19. What spaces!\n<\/li>\n\n
  20. What gorges!\n<\/li>\n\n
  21. Under the arch, there are cosy nooks where one can calmly enjoy the majesty of nature while tourists at the top take selfies.\n<\/li>\n\n
  22. And if you fancy a snowmobile ride in April, go and treat yourself.\n<\/li>\n\n
  23. The Gudauri Tunnel<\/a> has been under construction by the Chinese since 2021 and promises to one day solve the problem of days-long<\/span> traffic jams.\n<\/li>\n\n
  24. A love heart to the heroic workers.\n<\/li>\n\n
  25. The Aranuri Castle<\/a> long served as a stronghold for the Aragvi eristavis, and from the 19th<\/sup> century, for Russian troops. There\u2019re three churches here.\n<\/li>\n\n
  26. Interior of the Round Tower. The ceilings have long since collapsed, and the geometry is questionable, but the view is amazing.\n<\/li>\n\n
  27. The fortress\u2019s bell tower overlooks the shallow part of the Zhinvali Reservoir.\n<\/li>\n\n
  28. Mexican standoff.\n<\/li>\n\n
  29. A memorial to the 300 Aragvians<\/a> who heroically fell in battle with the Persians so that king Heraclius II could heroically bail.\n<\/li>\n\n
  30. Rose Revolution<\/a> at Freedom Square station.\n<\/li>\n\n<\/ol><\/div>\n\n\n\n