GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Lajanuri Reservoir

Turquoise mirror of the Racha road

Lajanuri Reservoir

Why go

Lajanuri Reservoir is a striking hydropower lake created in the 1960s, its unnatural blue-green depths held back by a concrete dam on the Lajanuri River. What makes it worth the detour is the sheer visual drama: the water shifts from milky jade to deep cobalt depending on light and depth, framed by steep forested slopes that reflect double in its still surface. It sits at the threshold between Lechkhumi's subtropical valleys and Racha's alpine grandeur, making it a symbolic and literal crossing point. For travelers, it offers that rare moment when Soviet infrastructure accidentally created beauty—a roadside revelation that demands you pull over.

On the ground See

  • The dam viewpoint at the reservoir's northern end for the full sweep of water against mountains
  • The village of Lajanuri on the eastern shore, where wooden houses and small Orthodox chapels edge the tree line
  • The winding road descent toward Tsageri, where the reservoir appears suddenly through gaps in the forest like a hidden sea

Practical Know before you go

Best visited May through October; the road is paved but narrow and occasionally blocked by landslides after heavy rain—check conditions with locals in Tsageri before ascending.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly