GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Lentekhi

Where Racha's wine hills meet Svaneti's stone towers

Lentekhi

Why go

Lentekhi sits at the confluence of three worlds: the terraced vineyards of Racha rolling down from the north, the fortress-studded valleys of Lechkhumi stretching east toward the Tskhenistsqali River, and the road west that climbs into Lower Svaneti's UNESCO-listed highlands. For centuries this was a transit point for traders and invaders alike—Medieval chroniclers noted its strategic position on the route between the Black Sea and the Caucasus interior. Today it remains deliberately untouristed, a working town where shepherds still drive flocks through the main street and the morning market sells honey from hives kept in the surrounding chestnut forests. The value is precisely this authenticity: base here to trek the 3-day route to Ushguli's towers before the crowds arrive, or explore the Lechkhumi range's abandoned feudal castles and sulfur springs that even most Georgians haven't visited.

On the ground See

  • The 11th-century Tsageri Cathedral, 12km north, with its rare frescoed sanctuary and views over the Racha wine region's oldest vineyards
  • The abandoned Likheti fortress ruins, a 2-hour hike above town, where medieval stonework frames the Tskhenistsqali gorge's 800-meter cliffs
  • The morning livestock market (Sundays, year-round) where Lechkhumi mountain farmers trade sheep, cheese, and forest honey in a tradition unchanged since the 19th century

Practical Know before you go

Best June-September; the unpaved road to Ushguli (70km) requires 4WD and can close after heavy rain—check conditions with the municipal office before attempting.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly