Khevsuretie (Georgia)

Khevsureti is perhaps the Georgian region that continues to fascinate me the most. There is the national myth of the Khevsur warrior, the same in the 20th century as it was in the Middle Ages; the folklore, the inhabitants' pagan culture, and remote villages that seem to stay the same for centuries. There are also some high mountain valleys, so difficult to access, where time has remained the same as in the past, with very few roads, if any at all. The summits, glaciers, pastures and forests - places where nature constantly sets the tone and Man humbly adapts his ways.

Khevsureti is notable for its mind-blowing medieval ruins in the villages, with defensive towers gathered there, typical of the Northern Caucasus. Shatili is the best preserved one, but Gudani, Mutso, Ardoti and Bisso are all equally charismatic places, loaded with the spirituality of the highlands.

It's better to get to Khevsureti by way of Piraketa, the southern slope that's still inhabited, home to the Khevsur culture, before going hiking in the unpopulated Pirikiti. But you can also come by way of the picturesque village of Juta, from Khevi, the second highest inhabited place in this part of the world...