The land of a thousand towers and glacers, the land of centenarians, the last Middle Ages of Europe… these are just some of numerous other poetic fitting notions to refer to the Upper Svaneti, the high-mountain region in the northwest of Georgia. Bound by the rugged and up to five thousand metres high mountain chains in the narrow valley of the Inguri River, this cultural isle has survived in its hundreds-year-long isolation. The historical roots of Svaneti's inhabitants stem supposedly from a Sumerian tribe…

The life of the Svans is full of privation, which makes them a tough people. They live on a barren land covered by snow about half a year long, and burned by the sun during the hot summer. Their villages are fortified and guarded by the mighty towers, that are over a thousand years old. United by a spoken language without a script, the Svans were already known to the ancient Greeks. Strabo, an ancient geographer, wrote about 2000 years ago: " The Soans, the ihnabitants of the Caucasian heights, reign over all the neighbouring peoples, and are generally said to be the toughest and most daring men. They have a king and a council of 300 representatives and can marshal troops of 200,000 warriors…"

The christianisation of Svaneti began in the 6th century. In the 11th century the numerous small Georgian princedoms including that of Svaneti were united into the Georgian Kingdom, that soon experienced its Golden Age. Svaneti developed into one of the leading handycraft cultural centers of Georgia, flourishing at that time. The legendary and canonized queen Tamar, who ruled in Georgia from 1184 to 1213 and assured the country a leading position in the area between the Black and the Caspian Sea, searched for her victorious army's future generals as well as for her personal bodyguards exceptionally among the Svans. She also resided every year in their homeland.

In the 15th century the former superpower of the United Georgian Kingdom collapsed and some of Svaneti's parts submitted to the influence of the neighbourng migrelian and kolkhisian princes. In Zemo Svaneti the Dadeshkeliani sovereign attempted to assert his claims to the ruling position. However, in the eastern part of this regioan the "hunters" for power confronted a severe resistance of the local defenders. Ubatono - "without sovereigns" - the Free Svaneti spread from the ridge called Bali up to the beginnings of the river Inguri in the Glacers of the Mount Shkhara. From the village Latali up to the settlements of Ushguli the proud warriors defended their independence and preserved their ancient clan order.

The territory of the modern Georgian province Svaneti is just a part of a once very powerful ancient kingdom. It consists of two separate administrative districts divided by the glaciated and up to four thousand metres high Svanetian mountain ridge. On the south, in the valley of the river Zchenitzkali, lies the Kwemo (low) Svaneti, with the centre Lentechi. On the north, enclosed by the five tousannd meter high Great Caucasus and the Svanetian mountain chains, lies the Zemo (upper) Svaneti, with the administative centre Mestia. Neither the Khasars nor the Arabs, Persians or the Mongolese hordes, who constantly fought for the influence on the Georgian territory during the country's history and systematically flooded this since the 4th century Christian land with blood, could ever invade the Upper Svaneti. The proud and invincible Svanetian warriors knew how to defend their natural fort. Until the military invasion of the Russian army at the end of the 19th century, the Svans had never been under a stranger's rule!

Until the collapse of the Soviet Union, with Georgia being one of ist constituent republics (1921-1991), this Caucasian country had been referred to as European. Georgia has been connected with Europe in many aspects: historically, culturally, politically. The Georgian people consider themselves as Europeans according to their cultural values. However, during the last two decades there has been a tendency to refer to Georgia as a Northwest Asian country bordering with Europe. Georgians call their county "the balcony of Europe" to stress the connection of their country with Europe.

The Upper Svaneti can also be called the "roof of Europe". Two thirds of the settlements lie over 1.500 metres above sea level. Some of them are even situated as high as over 2.000 metres above sea level. The fabulous village Ushguli (about 2.200 m) is the highest continuously inhabited settlement in Europe. Besides, there is no other church on the European continent that is situated higher than the church of Limkheri that nearly reaches the mark of 2.500 metres above sea and is situated above the village of Latali.

The unique architecture of the Upper Svaneti, owing to its authentic and the middle-ages-like character, has been included in the UNESCO's catalogue of the World Cultural Heritage since 1996.