I can't remember what first inspired me to want to visit Georgia, but there's a good chance it was a photo of Gergeti Holy Trinity Church silhouetted against Mount Kazbek. It's definitely one of Georgia's most iconic images. The Georgian's have a knack for building churches in spectacular locations, and at 2200 metres above sea level, backed by one of the highest peaks in the Caucasus Mountains, this is probably the most spectacular of them all.

It took me an hour to walk the 450 metres ascent to the church from Stepantsminda, despite various sources claiming a 3-hour walk (maybe the Wikipedia page is to blame for that). I ignored the signs following the road and took a steep path through forest. Walking back down, I kept pace with a car for a while as they followed the winding road and I cut through the forest. I became competitive and enjoyed popping out of the trees in front of them...

The church (also known as Tsminda Sameba) was built in the 14th century, with the bell tower following shortly after. In 1913, the ruins of a church were discovered even higher, at over 3900 metres, by climbers on Mount Kazbek.

Sabertse Pass

Views from Gergeti Trinity Church

Have you been to Georgia? Have you seen a more scenically located church in the world?

Photos taken with the Canon Powershot G1 X compact camera.

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