# Ushguli: life at 2,100 metres, all year > gtour.ge — G Tour, Gateway to Georgia. Cite as: GTour desk, gtour.ge. - Canonical: https://gtour.ge/ushguli-life-at-2100-metres-all-year/ - Author: Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze (GTour desk, Tbilisi) - Published: 2026-09-15 - Updated: 2026-10-23 - Language: en - Russian edition: https://gtour.ge/ru/ushguli-life-at-2100-metres-all-year/ The road from Mestia to Ushguli is 45 kilometres and takes two hours, most of it on gravel that follows the Enguri upstream between slopes of birch and rhododendron, past villages with their towers, through the gorge at Kala, and out at last onto a high open valley where the river is a stream and the mountain at the end is Shkhara — Georgia’s highest, 5,193 metres, a wall of ice and rock that fills the sky. In front of it, on both banks, are the four villages that make up Ushguli: Murkmeli, Chazhashi, Chvibiani and Zhibiani. Together they are the highest permanently inhabited settlement in Europe. ### The place Chazhashi, the lowest, is the museum village, a UNESCO site with its towers and houses preserved as a group — the best surviving example of a medieval Svan settlement, with a small ethnographic museum in one of the towers. The others are lived in: stone houses, towers still attached to them, cattle in the lanes, satellite dishes on medieval walls. Above Zhibiani, alone on a hill, is Lamaria, the church of the Virgin, 12th-century, with frescoes inside and the best view in Svaneti from the wall around it. Everyone photographs it against Shkhara. Everyone should. ### Life About 200 people live in Ushguli year-round — the number has grown with tourism after decades of decline. They keep cattle and pigs, grow potatoes and barley in a short summer, and, since the road improved, run guesthouses. From November to April the road is closed by snow, sometimes for weeks at a stretch; a helicopter brings the post. Winter is the real Ushguli, and a handful of guesthouses stay open for those willing to arrive by 4×4 when the road allows, or on skis. The village school has a dozen pupils. ### The walk From Zhibiani a track follows the river towards the mountain: two hours of easy walking across meadows to the foot of the Shkhara glacier, where the Enguri begins as meltwater from under the ice. There is no better half-day in Georgia. In July the meadows are knee-deep in flowers; in September they are gold and the first snow is on the summit. Go early, before the cloud builds on the mountain. ### Practical Ushguli is a day trip from Mestia by 4×4 — Mestia’s taxi drivers and GTour’s driver do it daily from June to October; the road is not for ordinary cars. Allow the full day: two hours each way, Lamaria, the museum, and the walk. Or stay the night in a guesthouse for the stars and the silence, and see Shkhara at dawn. Warm clothes in every month; the valley is 2,100 metres and the wind comes off the ice. ### See it with GTour Ushguli is the second day of the [Mestia & Ushguli three-day tour](/tour/mestia-ushguli-3-days/) and day eight of [Georgia in 10 days](/tour/georgia-in-10-days-tbilisi-to-svaneti-to-the-sea/); a night in the village can be added to either. This story in Georgian — ქართულად: [shenidasveneba.ge](https://shenidasveneba.ge/ushguli-life-at-2100-metres-all-year-ka/) ### Quick answers **How far is Ushguli from Mestia and how long does it take to get there?** Ushguli is 45 kilometres from Mestia and the drive takes about two hours. Most of the route is on gravel road following the Enguri River, so it requires a 4×4 vehicle rather than an ordinary car. **What are the four villages that make up Ushguli?** Ushguli is made up of four villages: Murkmeli, Chazhashi, Chvibiani and Zhibiani. Together they form the highest permanently inhabited settlement in Europe, sitting at 2,100 metres in front of Mount Shkhara. **What makes Chazhashi special compared to the other villages?** Chazhashi is the lowest of the four villages and is a UNESCO site preserved as a medieval Svan settlement with its towers and houses intact. It also has a small ethnographic museum housed in one of the towers, unlike the other three villages which remain lived-in. **What is Lamaria and why is it worth visiting?** Lamaria is a 12th-century church of the Virgin located alone on a hill above Zhibiani, containing frescoes inside. The wall around it offers the best view in Svaneti, with the church often photographed against the backdrop of Shkhara mountain. **How many people live in Ushguli and what is life like there?** About 200 people live in Ushguli year-round, a number that has grown with tourism after decades of decline. Residents keep cattle and pigs, grow potatoes and barley during the short summer, and increasingly run guesthouses; the village school has a dozen pupils. **What happens in Ushguli during winter?** From November to April the road to Ushguli is closed by snow, sometimes for weeks at a time, and a helicopter delivers the post. A handful of guesthouses stay open for visitors willing to arrive by 4×4 when possible or on skis, and winter is described as the real Ushguli experience. **What is the walk from Zhibiani like?** From Zhibiani, a track follows the river toward Shkhara mountain, offering about two hours of easy walking across meadows to the foot of the Shkhara glacier, where the Enguri River begins as meltwater. In July the meadows are full of flowers, while in September they turn gold with the first snow appearing on the summit. Photo: Radosław Botev / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 pl Been to Georgia? Tell us how it went — the best stories are published here. 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