Gudauri

Perched at 2,200 meters along the spine of the Greater Caucasus in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, Gudauri hugs the snaking turns of the historic Georgian Military Highway. Walking between its stepped clusters of wooden chalets and hillside hotels, you step into crisp, thin air scented with pine smoke, where the clatter of ski boots on snow mingles with the distant hum of freight traffic winding toward the high passes. Below the settlement, the Aragvi River begins its descent, while high above, bare alpine ridges cut sharply into broad skies. The area evolved into an international ski center during the 1980s, when Austrian developers built the first major lift network and opened the pioneering Marco Polo Hotel in 1988. Today, the gondolas and chairlifts haul travelers directly to the windswept summits of Mount Kudebi and Mount Sadzele, reaching over 3,200 meters. Just north on the road stands the 1983 Treaty of Georgievsk monument, a vast cylindrical concrete pavilion covered in colorful Soviet tile mosaics that look out over the sheer cliffs of the Devils Valley. Taverns across the resort serve mountain khinkali, thick dumplings stuffed with spiced beef and pork, accompanied by sips of homemade grape chacha. During the winter, the community comes together around snow competitions, drawing freeriders from across the Caucasus to tackle the unmarked bowls. For the most reliable powder, visit between late January and March; moving between the scattered tiers of town is easiest on the ski lifts during the day or via local marshrutka vans along the highway.

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