Kazbegi Georgia

The Caucasus Mountains is a range of mountains stretching through Eurasia, and one of the easiest ways to visit part of the mountains is through the town of Stepantsminda in Georgia, more commonly known as Kazbegi.

Respite in glorious mountain scenery

Just about 3+hours northeast from Tbilisi, Kazbegi sits at an altitude of about 1750m, and is an excellent mountain getaway. Most prominently, Mt Kazbek rises beautifully west of town, and together with Gergeti Trinity Church, perched atop the surrounding mountain at 2000+m, forms an almost iconic image of Kazbegi and Georgia.

Tsminda Samebis Church, with Mt Kazbek as backdrop

Gergeti Trinity Church, also known as Tsminda Samebis Church, can be easily visited by jeeps from town, but the best way is probably taking a hike up. In fact, many travelers come here for the wonderful trekking opportunities, and even the short hike up provided a glimpse of the scenic potential. And for the slightly more hardy, you can even trek further into the mountains to the Gergeti Glacier. For multi-day treks, make sure you are properly equipped.

Trekking in awesome mountain country

Summer wildflowers and snowcapped mountains

Reaching the Gergeti Trinity Church

View of the town of Kazbegi, surrounded by mountains!

The town itself is small and easily covered by foot. There are two museums in town, one of which is dedicated to the man who the town is named after - Alexander Kazbegi, a famed Georgian writer. However, the magic of the place is still the mountain scenery, and so hiking and trekking would be the best activities I would think. To make a mountain town stay complete, stay in one of the many homestays and guesthouses available. Most come with great homecooked food, and I enjoyed staying in these locals' homes. The moment you stepped off the marshrutka, you would be accosted by the owners, so no worries about finding them.

By public transport, reaching Kazbegi from Tbilisi is via marshrutkas from Didube station. For a group of you, perhaps it is better to charter your own vehicle as the journey there goes through the spectacular Georgian Military Highway, and you can have your own photo stops. Whichever the case, a trip to Kazbegi is highly recommended for visitors to Georgia/Tbilisi, and for the matter, a daytrip would probably not do the place justice. Do yourself a favor and enjoy Kazbegi!

The Ruined City of Ani

One of the attractions of Eastern Turkey, for those who venture there, is Ani, a ruined city-site that sits on a dramatic landscape of steppes, ravines and valleys. But be it the landscape or the ruins, the whole area exudes a sense of eerie sadness that makes you wonder about its past, and is really what I would exemplify as a 'ghost city'!

Cathedral of Ani bathed in golden sunlight

Ani was actually an Armenian city, and its current status on Turkish soil, on the border to Armenia, had been disputed and challenged between the two countries. During its peak in its eventful history, Ani had been the capital of the Armenian empire, but tragically, on its route of decline, it had seen through a long list of empires. While previously known as the 'City of 1001 Churches' or 'City of 40 Gates', what is left behind are faded facades and crumbling stones.

Archaeological excavations was started in 1892 under the Russians, and thankfully, some artifacts were preserved even after going through its turbulent history. Today, some news and reports indicate that some excavations and restorations are underway by the Turkish government, though when I visited, there were little indications :| ... The area is still within the Turkish military zone, and Armenia is just across from the river at the site, but I did not see any particular restrictions when I was there.

Crumbling structures

Most visitors to Ani start off in the city of Kars. In 2011, there is supposedly a public dolmus (shared vans) from Kars to the village just outside Ani twice a day. Otherwise, the best bet is to hire a taxi for the day. The site is well worth exploring and I would recommend spending at least half a day there. I spent the whole day there, till the closing time, and there wasn't any dolmus going back to Kars in the evening! Luckily, I managed to hitch a ride back from a group of Georgian tourists. Do bring along snacks/food and water, as when you enter the site, there isn't any tourist facilities except at the gate.

In the past, there were supposedly restrictions on photography, but apparently, it had been removed. For ruins, the image of the Church of the Redeemer would be particularly impactful, as half of its structure had collapsed. Check out also the Cathedral of Ani. The frescoes within some buildings are also quite beautiful. And if you stay till closing time, the late afternoon light on the ruins are also wonderful!

One of the highlights of Eastern Turkey!

Faded and damaged frescoes inside one of the cathedrals

Church of the Redeemer

Kutná Hora

For visitors to Europe, churches, cathedrals and chapels are common sights and many are attractions in their own right. But perhaps one of the most interesting and unique chapels I've visited lies in the Czech Republic.

In the town of Kutná Hora, there is a small chapel known as the Sedlec Ossuary. Centuries ago, an abbot from a monastery returned from Golgotha (a holy site in Jerusalem) with a small amount of earth which he sprinkled over the grounds of the abbey cemetery. News soon spread and the cemetery became a very popular burial site. On top of that, the Black Death plague at that time resulted in even more burials in the cemetery. Further down in history, a church was built on the cemetery grounds and a chapel beneath it. During the construction, all the bones from the graves had to be exhumed, and the chapel was then to be used as an ossuary. So what was so special and unique about all this?

Well, in 1870, a woodcarver named František Rint turned all the bones in the ossuary into an unbelievable piece of art. The whole interior of the chapel is now decorated by bones - in fact, some of the furnishings are constructed by these bones (and skulls). Notably, there is an enormous chandelier made entirely of bones, and it's supposed to contain at least one of every bone in the human body! All in all, an estimated 40,000 people's bones are now used inside the chapel.

Kutná Hora itself is also worth a visit as its town centre is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Most famous is the Church of St Barbara, with its impressive spires and beautiful interiors. It is easily reached via train or bus from Prague, and so, can be done just with a day trip.

Do check it out when you visit the Czech Republic. Highly recommended!

Sümela Monastery, Turkey

For those who had ventured to the eastern part of Turkey, or specifically, for those who found themselves in Trabzon on the Black Sea coast of northeastern Turkey, Sümela Monastery is simply one of the must-visit attractions there!

Also known as The Monastery of Virgin Mary, it was a Greek Orthodox monastery built into the face of a steep cliff. Founded by 2 hermit priests who discovered a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary in a cave in the mountain, the monastery had gone through various restorations in its long history. However, in recent times, it looks like the monastery could do with some preservation, especially the amazing frescoes found in the monastery!!

Indeed, the frescoes on the walls and ceilings of the various buildings in the monastery are one of the best I've seen! Unfortunately, poor protection of the site had resulted in most of the frescoes being damaged by wandering shepherds and ignorant tourists. However, there are reports that in 2012, the Turkish government would be funding some restoration works, and it would bode well for the local tourism.  Sümela Monastery is currently in the tentative list of UNESCO sites for Turkey.

There are many agencies and hotels in Trabzon arranging day tours to the monastery, which is basically just shared van transport to the monastery. You can, of course, pay for private tours and guides. You'll be deposited near the entrance of the monastery, and after approximately 1.5 hrs, you can take a short walk down a path back to the carpark where the van would bring you back to Trabzon.

Hopefully, the restoration works would enable the site to revert back to its full glory!! Check it out once you have the chance!