Lentekhi

Lentekhi is the centre of Kvemo Svaneti, or Lower Svaneti, a small mountain settlement of fewer than 1,000 people at 760 m in the valley of the Tskhenistskali River, north of Tsageri. It sees a tiny fraction of the visitors who go to Mestia and Upper Svaneti, but it shares the same Svan culture: stone defensive towers rise in nearby villages such as Leksuri, and small early medieval churches are scattered through the surrounding valleys. Forested slopes and quiet roads make it a peaceful place to spend a night or two.

Within easy reach are several churches of the 9th to 11th centuries, the ruins of Lentekhi Castle and a mineral spring on the hillside. Many of the churches are small and kept locked, so ask locally for keyholders. In the warmer months a rough road continues north over the Zagar Pass to Ushguli in Upper Svaneti, passable only by 4x4 with an experienced driver.

Lentekhi has long been the main settlement of Kvemo Svaneti, the lower part of the Svan homeland in the Tskhenistskali valley. Its oldest churches date from the 9th to 11th centuries, and Svan towers in the surrounding villages recall the same defensive traditions as Upper Svaneti. In later centuries the area came under the Dadiani princes of Mingrelia, whose castle ruins stand at Lentekhi. It is now the centre of Lentekhi municipality.