Chiora

Chiora is one of the three villages of Mtaracha, Racha's highest corner, on the road up the Rioni valley between Utsera and Ghebi. Its houses stand on terraces above the river, with hay meadows around them and the slopes of Mount Chiora rising to the north-east. The village is small and only partly lived in through the winter, and in summer it fills up as relatives return from the cities. Life follows the seasons: haymaking in July, fruit and walnuts in autumn, deep snow and isolation from December.

Chiora suits travellers looking for a quiet base for walking. Paths lead up from the village to summer pastures, and a route over the hills connects it with Glola. The valley road makes it easy to combine with Ghebi and Utsera. There are few formal guesthouses, so arrange a bed or a meal through contacts in Oni. Look in at the small village church on your way through.

Chiora shares the long history of Mtaracha, a frontier district that passed between Dvaleti, Svaneti and Racha over the centuries. Like many villages of Upper Racha, it lost much of its population in the 20th century as families moved to Kutaisi and Tbilisi. The 1991 Racha earthquake caused heavy damage across this part of the valley, and many houses were rebuilt in the years that followed.