Discover the essentials of Georgia

Stroll with the Tbilisians along the city's lively artery, Avenue Roustavéli. Explore the adjacent neighborhoods and take a detour to Mount Mtatsminda and its Georgian pantheon. Taste Georgian culinary traditions, taste khinkalis and drink wine in a few doukani (traditional tavern).

Visit the very eastern old town, where time seems to have stopped; it is a veritable maze of alleys where indigenous, Russian and Persian architecture mingle strangely. Visit its churches, Georgian and Armenian, its mosque, synagogue, fortress and botanical garden, its ornate balconies. Don't miss the magnificent sulphur baths that amazed Pushkin and Alexander Dumas, where Azeri masseurs will take good care of you.

Cross the bridge and visit the left bank of the Koura; discover the popular imperial architectural district of Aghmachenebeli Avenue, with its beautiful 19th century facades; then the station bazaar, Bazroba, a real city in the city, where Eastern life resurfaced at the end of the Soviet era. Cross the river again to stroll through the prestigious Soviet districts of Vera and Vaké, the most popular in the Tbilisi region. Backing against the hill, Vaké gives way to the forest, where the ethnographic museum is located, in which the traditional habitats of the different regions of Georgia are reconstructed. Climb up to Turtle Lake, a place of relaxation for the inhabitants, which gives a taste of the mountains.

Leave the metropolis to take a taste of Georgia's landscapes in Mtskheta: a small town 15 km from Tbilisi, the former Georgian capital, it is the country's true spiritual centre. In a spectacular narrowing of the valley, the Monastery of the Cross (Djvari), at the end of the Greater Caucasus range, overlooks the city. It is from here that Saint Nino converted the royal family to Christianity and planted the first cross in Georgia: a vine cross. Below, Svetitskhovéli Cathedral is the jewel of Georgian architecture, with its bas-reliefs, frescos and icons. This is the religious heart of the country. If you have time, you will go to the monastery of Chiomrvimé. In Mtskheta, don't forget to eat lobio, a spicy soup with red beans, which would be the best in the country.

Take a trip to Gori, Stalin's birthplace, where, during his lifetime, a museum was built in his honour, which has remained almost unchanged since then. A testimony to Soviet ideology, this museum is a unique experience, raw and without comment. From Gori, a pleasant city, although the tensions of the 2008 war may still be felt, which has a remarkable fortress, you can easily go to Ouplistsikhé, a cave city of the first millennium BC, which overlooks the Koura in an almost lunar landscape of arid and dented cliffs. This impressive site contains pagan cult sites, royal rooms, Georgia's oldest theatre and a charming 11th century chapel in caves. If you want to discover more, a few kilometres away, the Ateni valley leads to the church of Sion, nestled in a splendid site.

Take another step in the cave adventure: get lost in David Garedja's semi-desert monasteries. Asian centre landscape on the border of Azerbaijan, medieval cave frescoes in the middle of the steppe, astonishing architectural complexes, horse herders: you will feel at the end of the world. And you will be at the easternmost point of the Christian world. To go, you will pass through the Soviet Institution town, istrian in the middle of nowhere, and its impressive central Stalinist avenue.

Take the Georgian Military Road, the only natural route through the Greater Caucasus, which has often been impassable. The Arabs committed themselves to it in the 7th century, the Russians arrived here in the 19th century. You will go into the mountains, discover the beauty of Lake Jinvali, then that of the fortified ecclesiastical site of Ananouri. Crossing the Col de la Croix, you will arrive after half a day at Stepantsminda (Kazbégui), on the Terek, on the border with Russia, at the foot of Mount Kazbek, the third peak of the Caucasus where Prometheus was reportedly chained. Walk to the Chapel of the Holy Trinity (Tsminda Sameba) whose silhouette has become emblematic of the Caucasus. Eat khinkalis in Stepantsminda, where they are supposed to be the best, taste the picturesque mountain traditions by staying with the locals.

Before you go down, take a trip to the wild Sno valley, which leads to the isolated Khévsourétie, the mythical ancestral traditions. The Fortifié's fortified village is worth the trouble, and you will be able to feel back in a century.

Enjoy Tbilisi and its lively life again. Check out the monumental new Trinity Cathedral (Sameba), built in 2004 and financed by a millionaire businessman, in the heart of Avlabari, the traditional Armenian district. You can also visit Sabourtalo, a modern district of universities and hospitals. You can spend an evening at the opera house, the conservatory, in a music restaurant, or, if you are lucky, watch a folk dance and music ensemble perform. If you have energy for other adventures, take a trip to Kakhetia, the cradle of Georgian wine.

Go to Sighnaghi, a small town beautifully located at the foot of the peaks of Dagestan. Admire the vine culture and local traditions; then go to Telavi, the regional capital, where you will find the attractive palace of King Irakli II, a miniature Persian palace. Finally, go to Alaverdi Cathedral, the highest of the Georgian historic churches, alone in the middle of the plain facing the mountains. You can do this excursion in two days, sleeping in Telavi, and thus visit the many other architectural gems of Kakuchetia, the Ikalto Academy, the monasteries of Shouamta, the churches of Gremi and Gourdjaani... And dive into the heart of Georgian wine by visiting a cellar or attending the production at home.