Caucasus Mountains

Nestled between Europe and Asia and bordering the Middle East, the soaring Great Caucasus offers guests some very rich gifts: high mountain peaks, vast and wild spaces, boundless slopes of pristine fluffy snow.

Surrounded by the Black, Caspian and Azov Seas, the Caucasus is divided into three large geographic regions – Ciscaucasia, North Caucasus and South Caucasus. The magnificent mountains of the Caucasus include two major mountain systems: Greater Caucasus and Lesser Caucasus. One of the near-forgotten translations of the word “Caucasus” literally means “Mountains Holding up the Sky”; indeed, just one look at the powerful and noble allure of the ancient Greater Caucasus peaks will convince you that they are the very columns on which the whole world is being supported.

The Caucasus Mountains attract the attention of numerous tourists and sportsmen, as they contain the highest peaks in Europe: Mount Elbrus, situated in the Russian Federation, astounds visitors with its size and height (5,642 m); Mount Shkhara (5,068 m) in Georgia, which gives shelter to the village of Ushguli and is the highest mountain and permanent settlement to be a UNESCO world heritage site; Mount Ushba (4,690 m), well-known to skiers and considered to be one of the hardest mountains in the world on which to climb 4,000 meters; Mount Kazbek (5,054 m), an inexhaustible source of myth and legend with uniquely beautiful slopes and a plethora of historical sights.

The Caucasus is rich in ancient culture and is mentioned in Classical Greek mythology and the Bible. The concentration of a wide variety of languages and nations along with the unique mountain landscape make the Caucasus one of the most wonderful places on the planet. The Caucasus Mountains will conquer you with their ancient glaciers and majestic peaks, deeply carved by mountain rivers and rugged passes. The clean mountain air and pleasant weather conditions allow you to truly enjoy the exceptional flora and wildlife, many of which are rare species and found only in the Caucasus.

The welcoming slopes of the Great Caucasus await you! Visiting this little corner of paradise which “holds up the sky” will leave you with unforgettable memories, a host of positive emotions and a great feeling of happiness.