Impressive abandoned building in Tskaltubo with colonnades and arches

Tskaltubo, Stalin’s favorite spa resort in Georgia

Originally published on AWAYN’s website.

This spa resort is located in the western region of Imereti, half an hour away from Kutaisi, the second-largest city of Georgia

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A boy flies a kite on the black sand beach of Ureki

Relax on the magnetic black sand beaches of Ureki, Georgia

Originally published on AWAYN.

Ureki is located in Guria, a region full of pristine nature along the coastline of the Black Sea. The town is famous because of its magnetic black sand, widely believed to contain healing properties for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and certain skin disorders

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Complex of caves in Vardzia at sunset

Get lost in Vardzia, a unique rock-cut complex in Georgia

Originally published in AWAYN’s website.

This unique rock-hewn monastery and town is located in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, in the southwest of Georgia and is registered in the tentative list of the UNESCO world culture heritage

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View of the confluence of the rivers and the Historical Monuments of Mtskheta from the Jvari Monastery

Discover Mtskheta, the spiritual capital of Georgia

Originally published in AWAYN’s website.

Even if you’re not a religious person, in Mtskheta you will experience a pleasant mysticl energy. This ‘Holy City’ is located at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, in the eastern part of Georgia, only 20 km from Tbilisi

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View of the Roman Temple of Évora and the World Heritage Sites of the city in Portugal

Discover the timeless city of Évora

Originally published on AWAYN’s website.

Whitewashed houses lined with yellow and coats of arms carved from stone, narrow streets leading to the lively main square known as Praça do Giraldo and impressive buildings from different periods…Welcome to Évora, one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites.

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View of the Greco-Roman Temple of Garni in Armenia at sunset and the clouds

Discover the historic Temple of Garni and the Symphony of Stones

Originally published on AWAYN’s website.

Garni is located in the Kotayk province, in the central region of Armenia. The village has some of the oldest religious monuments of the country, such as the pre-Christian Temple of Garni, the 12th-century Mashtots Hayrapet Church and the Havuts Tar Monastery, erected between the 11th and 13th centuries. In the same complex, you’ll find the Garni Historical and Cultural Museum, the foundations of the 7th-century Saint Sion Church and the ruins of a Roman bath.

The most famous attraction is the pagan Temple of Garni. The King Trdatits I ordered its construction in the 1st century AD to worship Mirh, the deity of the Sun in the Armenian Mythology. This Greco-Roman styled structure was destroyed by an earthquake in 1679, but the reconstruction work wasn’t done until 1975.

The historic village of Garni is also a place to be in direct contact with nature because is surrounded by the Khosrov Forest State Reserve, one of the oldest protected areas in the world. You will be amazed not only by waterfalls, hot springs and semi-desert landscapes but also by its beautiful valleys, covered by large oak and juniper forests.

If you want to find Garni’s hidden treasure, you may go above the temple and cross a medieval stone bridge to the banks of the mighty river Azat. There you’ll find the impressive hexagonal basalt columns of Garni Gorge. This natural marvel is known by the locals as the “Symphony of the Stones” because is like a huge black organ with lava pipes.

You can do a day trip from Yerevan taking a public minivan or marshrutka next to Nansen Park, which costs 300AMD (less than 1$) and takes 35 minutes. The Garni trip can be also combined with a visit to UNESCO World Heritage Site of Geghard Monastery, one of the first Christian monuments of the country and only 8 kilometers away.

View of the impressive Ninoskhevi waterfall in the forest of Georgia

Discover Ninoskhevi Waterfall in Georgia

Originally published on AWAYN.

The Alazani valley in the northeast of Kakheti region hides most of its natural treasures and one of them is the Ninoskhevi Waterfall

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View of the Abano pass above the clouds at sunset in Tusheti, Georgia

Discover Abano Pass, the most dangerous road in Georgia and the historical region of Tusheti

Originally published on AWAYN’s website.

In the northeast part of Georgia is located the region of Tusheti and to get to Omalo, its biggest village, you’ll have to take the most dangerous high mountain pass in the country and one of the highest in the Caucasus and Europe, known as Abano Pass.

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View of the Friendship Monument in Gudauri, Georgia and people paragliding on the sky

Discover Gudauri, the most popular ski resort of Georgia

Originally published on AWAYN’s website.

The Georgian Military Highway leads to Kazbegi and to the border with Russia, it follows the course of the Aragvi river from the impressive Ananuri castle complex all the way up through green valleys and mountains until its source somewhere near Gudauri, the most popular ski resort of the country and one of the best ski stations in the Caucasus.

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View of the Belem Tower in Lisbon at sunset

Discover Belém in Portugal

Originally published on AWAYN.

This historic neighbourhood of Lisbon is located by the estuary of the Tagus River, only 6km away from downtown and is famous for its UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Jerónimos Monastery and the Bélem Tower.

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