გუდაური

Gudauri is Georgia's highest ski resort, sitting at 2,200 m on the Georgian Military Highway about 2 hours from Tbilisi. Its slopes face the Greater Caucasus and the season runs longer than at any other Georgian resort — typically December through early May. The Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument, with its panoramic mosaic mural, stands just below the resort and is one of the country's most photographed viewpoints.

Outside ski season, Gudauri is a quiet mountain village with paragliding (the take-off is from the upper lift station), heli-skiing options for advanced skiers, and excellent hiking. Travelers on the Tbilisi-Kazbegi corridor increasingly add a Gudauri overnight to break the otherwise-long day-trip — and to enjoy a morning view that day visitors never see.