Recently we asked ourselves:  Are there any travel destinations left in the world that are refreshingly unfamiliar? Where the language, culture and cuisine are unlike any we’ve come across before?

We found such a place last fall when we visited the countries of Armenia and Georgia, located in a geographic region called the South Caucasus.  This region (which also includes the country of Azerbaijan) is bordered by Turkey to the west, Russia to the north and Iran to the south. Forming a geographical bridge between Europe and Asia, the South Caucasus is sandwiched between the Black Sea on the west and the Caspian Sea to the east.

We first learned about the Caucasus from an American friend who had traveled there.  Her praise of the people, culture and cuisine caused us to put Armenia and Georgia on our list of “where to go next.” To help plan a trip, we contacted Cascade Travel, a respected travel company based in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Cascade organized our itinerary, accommodations (four-star) and an English-speaking driver/guide for each country.

It took about 16 hours to get to Armenia from our home in Charlotte, NC, excluding layovers in Washington, D.C. and Doha, Qatar. But the long journey was worth it.

Armenia

Armenia has a rich and complex history, with evidence of human activity dating to 4,000 BCE.  Today, this country’s population of almost 3 million is concentrated mostly in urban areas. Outside the cities are mountains, valleys and forests that offer outdoor activities, including hiking, skiing, mountain climbing, kayaking and cycling.

Over the centuries Armenia has survived incursions by the Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks, Moguls, Ottomans, Russians and, from 1920 to 1991, the Soviet Union. In 1991, the current state, a parliamentary republic, was established.

Through it all, Armenians have fiercely clung to their national identity. In fact, 95 percent of the population identifies as ethnically Armenian, and 90 percent belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church. The church is closely aligned with the country’s national identify—not surprising, since Armenia became the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity.

Recently, World Travel Awards named Armenia as Europe’s Leading Heritage Destination 2025. It’s, in fact, considered one of the safest countries for travelers.

A Land of Churches

Today, an estimated 4,000 churches—both active and in ruins—dot the countryside, the oldest dating to the sixth and fifth centuries CE.

Our guide, Arman, an attractive young man with a degree in international studies, was full of information on Armenian history and culture.  By the end of the first day, we were challenged to keep track of centuries of rulers and empires.

He took us to some of Armenia’s oldest and most beautiful churches and monasteries:  Geghard (hewn from surrounding cliffs); Noravank (overlooking a gorge); and Etchmiadzin Cathedral (Armenia’s mother church, full of ecclesiastical art and artifacts).

Also important is the hilltop monastery of Khor Virap. Surrounded by vineyards, it faces towering Mount Ararat (16,854 ft), where the bible says Noah’s ark came to rest. In the third century CE, Saint Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned here in a deep pit by pagan King Tiridates III. For 13 years he was kept alive by the good graces of the king’s sister. When the king became ill, the sister dreamed that only Gregory, if he were released, could heal him. The king listened to her, released the saint and was healed—whereupon he proclaimed Christianity to be Armenia’s national religion.

The architectural style of Armenia’s early churches is unique in the world. The foundations of most (though not all) of these churches are laid out in the shape of an equal-armed cross.  In the middle, a polygonal tower rises to a cone-shaped cupola. Inside, the walls are mostly bare; few if any frescos remain. Around and sometimes inside the churches are intricately carved stone stelae called khachkars (cross stones). Khachkars usually feature a single cross in the center surrounded by a border of interlacing geometric or botanical motifs.

Yerevan, Armenia’s Pink City

One of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, Yerevan today is an energetic university city filled with restaurants, museums, nightclubs, jazz clubs and an opera house that hosts artists from around the world. Here we saw Russian, Chinese and a few European tourists—but hardly any Americans.

Our hotel, Marriott’s Hotel Yerevan, is one of three buildings on Republic Square (the city’s center) built in the Soviet Neoclassical style out of local stone, a pink-hued volcanic tuff. A row of large Roman arches lines the broad curved façade, with smaller arches marching across the top.

In the evening, we joined locals in the square to watch the nightly performance of Yerevan’s “dancing fountains.” Plumes of water jetted into the air, synchronized to colored lights and music ranging from classical to pop.

The city’s best restaurants and clubs were within walking distance—Lavash, Sherep and Tavern Yerevan, to name a few favorites—as well as the internationally famous Malkhas Jazz Club. Dinner at Tavern Yerevan included a cultural show of musicians, singers, and dancers in traditional Armenian dress. After dinner, the crowd in the room—locals of all ages—rose to dance.

Armenian Cuisine

Armenian’s cuisine was full of surprises. At breakfast, we sampled savory jingvalov bread, made with 23 herbs. For dinner we tried a healthy garni yarakh, eggplant stuffed with beef, peppers, onion, tomatoes and spices. Armenia’s summer staple—cucumber, onion and tomato salad—never failed to refresh. An autumn showpiece is ghapama, a miniature pumpkin wrapped in a thin layer of lavash (flatbread), stuffed, then baked. Our server sliced it vertically, fanning out wedges piled with  rice, raisins, apples, butter and honey.

A sweet treat, often served with coffee, is muraba—velvety green walnuts preserved in a syrup flavored with spices such as cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.

Armenians claim to be the world’s oldest wine makers. We visited a winery near the village of Areni, about two hours southeast of Yerevan, where archeologists found a 6,000-year-old wine press. We found the wines easy-drinking—dry with soft tannins.

On to Georgia

After several days in Armenia, we drove to the border town of Bagratashen to meet Tornike, our Georgian guide.

Tornike knew as much as Arman about his country. Once again, we were challenged to keep track of centuries of rulers—from the indigenous Colchians and Iberians to Persians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Ottomans and Russians.

We based ourselves for a few days in the capital city of Tblisi.  Tbilisi offers a range of restaurants, museums, nightclubs, and traditional cultural shows, as well as symphony, ballet and opera performances. Moreover, by day and night, the Old City is a great place to mingle with locals and tourists relaxing at sidewalk cafes and wine bars.

North to Mt. Kazbek

One of the highlights of our trip was the long drive from Tbilisi to the Russian border, where we overnighted at Rooms Hotel in the village of Stepantsminda. This hotel, once a Soviet-run hospital, has a groovy yet laid-back style that appeals to vacationers, backpackers, businessmen and adventure travelers alike. Its lobby and front-facing guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling views of Mount Kazbek (16,581 ft.), one of the highest peaks in the Caucasus Range. Here, travelers sprawl on leather sofas or gather around communal tables, sipping cocktails made from chacha (a strong brandy made from grape skins) and consuming hearty Georgian dishes.

The next morning from our balcony, we watched a full moon set behind Mt. Kazbek as the rising sun bathed the roof of 14th-century Gergeti Trinity Church in golden light.  This isolated church, located on a hilltop below Mount Kazbek, is a national icon not only because of its stunning location but because it played a role in protecting Christian relics during foreign invasions.

Churches of Georgia

Like Armenia, Georgia adopted Christianity in the fourth century, making it the second nation to do so. Georgia’s churches invariably overlook an epic landscape: a river gorge, a scenic valley or the snow-covered peaks of the Caucasus Range.

Georgian churches resemble those in Armenia in that each has a central tower, called a “drum,” capped by a cone-shaped dome, few are rectangular (a basilica plan). Apart from the earliest examples, most Georgian churches are also built on a “cross in square” plan—an equal-armed cross that rises from a square-shaped foundation.  It’s true that  between the 10th and 14th centuries, Georgia’s churches began to elongate on the east west axis, but the internal organizing principle and underlying structure—a dome rising over an equal-armed cross—was the same. Interior embellishments—such as icons or frescoes—are plentiful but not as flamboyant as in the Russian or Byzantine tradition.

 A lovely example is the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, near the town of Mtskheta, which they say was built on the instruction of St. Nino, a female saint who converted Georgia’s king to Christianity in 319 CE.

Georgia’s cuisine is best described as comfort food on steroids–hearty stews showcasing eggplant, potatoes, beef or lamb. Georgia’s signature spice, Khmeli suneli is a blend of coriander, fenugreek, marjoram, pepper. It lends a layered,  sultry taste to foods. Walnuts are everywhere, appearing in eggplant roll-ups filled with walnut paste (also an Armenian dish) as well as churchkhela, a long sausage-shaped candy that hangs in every market.

East to Kakheti

The primary winemaking region in Georgia is Kakheti, near the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. Some 80% of Georgia’s wine production takes place here. The wines range from dry whites to full-bodied reds—and a surprisingly dry amber wine. Our favorites include the red wines made from the Saperavi grape.

Georgians claim they have been producing wine for 8,000 years. In both Georgia and Armenia, wine is fermented and stored in European-style barrels and vats. But the traditional way is to ferment the wine in qvevri, handmade clay vessels that are buried in the ground or set into the floors of wine cellars. The wine is fermented along with the skins and seeds of the grapes, which enhances tannins and produces an earthy, full-bodied wine with notes of dark berry, plum and spice.

In short, these wines are dry yet smooth, comparable in depth to a Cabernet Savignon. And happily, some are available in the U.S.

Aside from wineries, other places to visit in the Kakheti wine region include pedestrian-friendly towns such as Telavi and Sighnaghi, which offer wonderful restaurants, churches, historical landmarks and shopping.

Telavi’s beautiful and well-preserved Batonis Castle, home of Kakheti kings in the 17th and 18th centuries, stands out against the backdrop of the Caucasus Range. Several miles from Telavi, we visited the 11th-century Alaverdi Cathedral whose soaring 50-meter central tower made it the tallest church in Georgia for centuries. The interior is spacious and beautifully lighted with 25-f00t-high slit windows.

Later, in Sighnaghi, a hilltop town with an Italian Tuscan resemblance, we enjoyed a traditional Georgian lunch on a high terrace facing the mountains.

Most travelers will find the South Caucasus authentic and refreshing. Our advice: Go now, before waves of tourists beat you to it! If you’re like us, the trip won’t end when you get home. You’ll be driven to study more about the region’s  history, architecture, literature and music. And you’ll be inspired to try your hand at that most comforting Georgia stew, chanakhi, piled high with hearty vegetables and flavored with fresh coriander. You might even be driven to find a local source for Khmeli suneli, our favorite South  Caucasus seasoning.

Here’s a link to our short film about the South Caucasus.