In winter, the main road to the Georgian village of Stepantsminda, traditionally called Kazbegi, can close without warning. The Georgian Military Highway, which runs from Tbilisi, crosses the Krestovy Pass at an altitude of 2,379 metres, and traffic along it can be halted by bad weather. Yet it is precisely in winter, when the summer visitors have gone, that Kazbegi changes from a bustling base for hikers into a quiet mountain village at 1,740 metres.
On clear days, the glacier-capped peak of Mount Kazbek rises above the village, its height 5,054 metres. The region's main landmark, the fourteenth-century Trinity Church in the village of Gergeti, stands at 2,170 metres and looks especially striking against the snow in winter. It can be reached from Stepantsminda by four-wheel-drive taxi or on foot. The climb through the snow takes two to three hours, but it allows you to greet the dawn at the church walls, when the first rays of sun colour the summit of Kazbek.
Besides walks to the church, the surrounding valleys, the Sno and Truso among them, offer routes for snowshoeing. Some 45 kilometres south of Stepantsminda lies the Gudauri ski resort. Some travellers stay in Kazbegi and go to Gudauri to ski or snowboard. A day ski pass in high season costs 100 to 150 lari, and equipment hire a further 60 to 100.
Most cafés and shops are concentrated in the centre of Stepantsminda, around the main square. However, the best food in the village is considered to be the dinners served in guesthouses run by local families. The hosts cook for confirmed guests, so arrangements for such a dinner should be made when booking. It usually costs between 35 and 60 lari per person.
In winter, accommodation prices, except over the New Year holidays, are lower than in summer. A night in a simple guesthouse may cost 80 to 180 lari per person, in a small hotel 250 to 500 lari for a double room, and in a hotel with panoramic views and a spa from 600 lari. When choosing lodgings, it is worth checking in advance how the house is heated: in the mountains, the temperature at night can drop to minus 15 °C.
The journey from Tbilisi, which lies 157 kilometres from Kazbegi, takes from three to four hours. A minibus from the Didube station costs 20 to 25 lari, and a seat in a shared taxi 40 to 60 lari. A private transfer will cost 250 to 400 lari. For a trip through the winter mountains, it is wise to allow one spare day in case the road is temporarily closed because of bad weather.
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