Stepantsminda, formerly known as Kazbegi, can be found way north, in a lesser-visited region of the Republic of Georgia, just shy of the Russian border.
I’m often asked what my favorite country or place to visit is. This is, of course, an extremely difficult question to answer and one I gingerly try to sidestep when asked.
When pressed, however, recently I’ve been saying that although I simply can’t narrow it down to just one place, the Republic of Georgia is very high on that list.
Enjoy an Overview of Stepantsminda
One of the last times I was in Georgia I had about 12 days in between the end of a scouting trip to Northern Spain’s Basque Country & La Rioja and the start of my Treasures of Armenia & Georgia trips.
Needless to say, I’m always keen to maximize my time in between trips and so I’ll often do some additional scouting so that I can create new itineraries or add-on extensions before or after the base trip.
Several times over the years I’d been visiting Georgia it was recommended that I venture up north to Steptantsminda, formerly known as Kazbegi.

Head North on Georgia’s Military Highway
The Georgian Military Highway, at about 212 kms (roughly 125 miles), runs from Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, north to Vladikavkaz, Russia.
The Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument is a popular stop along the way and offers stunning views, such as above, and below.

There’ll Be Lots More to Come on Georgia
Rest assured I’ll be creating many more posts on the culture, people, food, drink, history and more to be found in gorgeous Georgia.
Have you been to the Republic of Georgia? How about to Stepantsminda?
Let us know in the comments below.