Bakuriani is a popular skiing resort in the Borjomi district of Georgia. It is located on the northern slope of the Trialeti Range , at an elevation of 1,700 meters (5,576 feet) above sea level. The region around Bakuriani is covered by coniferous forests (mainly made up of spruce).

The resort lies 30km from Borjomi and is located within the so-called Bakuriani Depression/caldera. The present-day area of the town was built up by the lava flows from the Mukheri volcano.

The highest mountain of the resort used for skiing is called Mount Kokhta at around 2,200 meters (7,216 feet) above sea level. The climate of Bakuriani is transitional from humid maritime to relatively humid continental. The winters are cold and experience significant snowfall while the summers are long and warm. Average annual temperature of the town is 4.3 degrees Celsius. The average temperature in January is -7.3 degrees Celsius while the average August temperature is 15 degrees Celsius.

The annual precipitation is 734mm (28.9 inches). The depth of snow from December to March is 64cm (25.2 inches). Bakuriani is also home to the well-known Botanical Garden of the Georgian Academy of Sciences.

Finally putting post-Soviet internal strife and economic stagnation behind it, Georgia is now developing its tourism potential and making the full range of its attractions safely and readily accessible to travellers.

Appealing accommodation for all budgets is becoming available across the country and opportunities for exploring by foot, horse or vehicle are expanding fast.

From outrageously beautiful towns of Svaneti and Kazbegi in the Caucasus mountains to Batumi, a fun-loving semitropical town on the Black Sea coastline, Georgia abounds in natural variety. Tbilisi, the capital and by far the biggest city, has the atmosphere of an age-old Eurasian crossroads, yet it’s also a 21st-century city with European-style nightclubs and eye-catching new architecture.

Georgia’s deeply complicated history has given it a fascinating cocktail of influences from Turkey, Russia, Persia, Central Asia and beyond, with a wonderful heritage of architecture and art. But today Georgia looks to Europe for its future and is the most Western in atmosphere of the three Caucasus countries.

Perhaps its greatest treasure is the Georgians themselves: warm, proud, high-spirited, cultured, obsessively hospitable and expert at enjoying life. This is a country where guests are considered a blessing. The abundant local wine flows freely, tables are laden with fine food and you’ll never cease to be delighted by the warmth of your welcome.