Stepantsminda (Kazbegi, Georgia) is an urban – type settlement, the administrative center of Kazbegi district. According to 2014 data, its population is 1,326 people.
Kazbegi is located 165 km north of Tbilisi and 43 km south of Vladikavkaz. It is located on a mountain plateau, at the foot of Kazbek, the height above sea level is 1744 m. Approximately 10 km from Kazbegi is the border with Russia, and through the city itself is the famous Georgian Military Road connecting Georgia and Russia.
From 1921 to 2007, this town was called Kazbegi. This name was given in honor of the writer Alexander Kazbegi, who was born here, and not in honor of the Kazbek Mountain standing here, as many people think. Stepantsminda and Kazbegi-these names are still confused. Even on maps and in Yandex. Navigator, the city can be marked differently.
You will be interested: What to see in Stepantsminda and the surrounding area — sights of the town.
How to get to Stepantsminda from Tbilisi
There are several ways to get from the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, to this small settlement hidden among the mountains.
By minibus
The cheapest and most popular route is the “Tbilisi – Kazbegi”minibus. It runs as it fills up (approximately once an hour) from 07: 00 to 18: 00, the departure point is Okriba bus station next to Didube metro station. The journey time is 3-4 hours. The ticket costs GEL 10.
By taxi
At the same bus station, there are many taxis that can take you to Stepantsminda. Of course, considering how many kilometers from Tbilisi to Kazbegi (156 km), it becomes clear that a taxi ride will cost much more than a minibus: if the car runs on gas 130-150 lari, and if the car runs on gasoline 230-270 lari. By the way, a well-prepared car can be ordered in advance, using the KiwiTaxi service, which operates all over the world.
By car
There is another option, how to get from Tbilisi to Kazbegi – you can rent a car and drive yourself. The main advantage of a rented car is that you don’t have to depend on anyone, you can stop anywhere along the way. But keep in mind that the road is quite difficult – almost all of it passes through mountains, there are many sharp turns and long ascents. The shortest travel time is 2.5 hours.
Kazbegi infrastructure
Stepantsminda is a very small town, where everything valuable for tourists is located on the main street. A little to the west of this street is a cliff, under which the Terek flows, and on the mountain slope, located to the east – are the city outskirts, because of the shaggy mountain cows that evoke associations with Tibet.
The development of infrastructure in Kazbegi is largely due to tourism, especially noticeable changes occurred here in 2014-2015.
Money exchange, SIM cards
There is an exchange office on the central square of Stefantsminda, and money can also be exchanged at Liberty Bank. However, the exchange rate in Tbilisi and Kazbegi is slightly different – in the capital it is more profitable.
A Beeline SIM card sales center has been opened on the square, although you can also buy them in regular stores.
The shops
There are several grocery stores and super and mini markets in Kazbegi, where everything you need is always available. There are also a couple of bakeries and home-made takeaway shops. You can buy shoes and clothing in one of the stores, but don’t look for branded items here.
Restaurants
Kazbegi’s main square is home to the most prestigious local establishments – Khevi and COZY CORNER restaurants. COZY CORNER offers higher prices, but the food quality is better, and Wi-Fi is also available. Kazbegi Hotel has a restaurant and bar open until night. One of the most popular places is Panorama Kazbegi. Here the service is at the European level, the food is delicious, there are several halls and panoramic views (which is clear from the name).
I must say that the prices for food in all Kazbegi establishments are on average 15-20% higher than in Tbilisi. And wine, if you take it in glasses, will be almost 50% more expensive.
Cozy khinkali restaurants, which offer simple, but very tasty and always fresh home-made food: khachapuri, khinkali, tea, have managed to get huge popularity among vacationers.
Hotels and guest houses
Having figured out how to get to Kazbegi, you need to take care of where to stay.
There are many guest houses in Stepantsminda, and the conditions in them are approximately the same, that is, without any special frills. Such housing can be found on the spot yourself, just by asking local residents, or wandering around the village in search of signs “Rooms for rent”. If you do not want to waste time searching, then it makes sense to rent a room in advance – most of the houses are represented in popular booking systems on the Internet.
- Red Stone (prices from$ 18) has parking and free Wi-Fi, offering delicious homemade breakfasts.
- In the Sunny Mountain House guest House (prices from$ 23 per room), the rooms have a shower, comfortable new beds.
Well, then the cost of living only increases: for a room in the 4* hotel “Rooms Hotel Kazbegi” you will have to pay$ 100 per day. There are only 4 such comfortable establishments in Stepantsminda. Here you can rent a mountain bike, but this service is provided only to hotel guests. From its terrace you can enjoy wonderful views: the Gergeti Church, the Kazbegi Mountains and even the majestic Kazbek. And even if you are not a guest of the hotel, you can always drink coffee on its terrace and admire the mountain landscapes of Georgia that open from here.
Tourist Information Center
In 2016, a tourist information center was launched in Kazbegi. It is located in a modest one-story house on the main street, not far from the central square.
With the opening of this center, traveling has become much easier. The main thing is to take care of how to get from Tbilisi to Kazbegi on your own, and already on the spot you can rent a wide variety of mountain climbing equipment: helmets, sleeping bags, carbines. You can also buy gas cylinders-a rifled half-liter one costs GEL 30.
Guide services
As the guides who work here joke, all you need to take when heading to Stepantsminda is money.
The two-day tour, which includes an ascent to the Gergeti Church and a trip to the Gweleti Waterfall, costs$85. This amount includes payment for guide services and transfers from Tbilisi, as well as trips around the area by car. If you add in the cost of accommodation, food and gas, then a two-day trip for one person will cost at least $ 130.
You can also find a guide for sightseeing tours in the village itself. In Kazbegi, you can rent a car to go to the Gergeti Church for 60-80 GEL, and you can go to the Gveleti Waterfall for 110-140 GEL.
The climb to Kazbek will cost much more. An accompanying person picks up a small group, paying 600-700 euros per person. You won’t be able to get to the top of Mount Kazbek on your own – this is not an easy task, to put it mildly.
Horseback riding will cost $ 100-200 – it’s all about distance. So, for$ 200, a tourist with his belongings can be taken to the weather station.
By car, you can go to the village of Juta or to the Trusovsky Gorge – such routes will cost approximately GEL 100.
Weather conditions in Stepantsminda
Despite the short distance between Tbilisi and Kazbegi, the climate is completely different. It is best to go to a mountain village in August to escape from the heat of Tbilisi. The rest of the time it is quite cold here, it is not for nothing that this area is called Georgian Siberia and people come here in search of peace and solitude.
Stepantsminda is characterized by mild winters with stable snow cover (in January, the temperature is kept within -5°C) and relatively warm summers (in August, the average temperature is +14°C). During the year, about 800 mm of precipitation falls, and in summer, the relative humidity is 72 %.
A feature of the climate in Stepantsminda can be called changeability. The weather in this region of Georgia often changes even during the day: a warm summer day can be replaced by a night when the temperature drops to 0°C.
In general, Kazbegi (Georgia) is a cold, windy mountain town. Therefore, when going to visit it, even in summer you need to take warm clothes and raincoats with you.
