Bakuriani

Who it suits

Bakuriani sits lower than Gudauri and among trees rather than above them, which makes it the choice for families and for anyone learning. The runs are shorter and shallower and the whole place is calmer. Skiers chasing steep ground go to Gudauri; almost everyone else has a better time here.

Borjomi below it

The road up passes through Borjomi, the spa town whose mineral water is on every table in Georgia and has been bottled since the nineteenth century. The park where the springs rise is a pleasant hour and the water, drunk warm at the source, is an acquired taste that most people acquire slowly or not at all.

Summer

Out of the snow this is walking country, cool when Tbilisi is at its worst in July and August. That is the honest reason to come in summer: altitude and shade rather than any single sight.

How long to give it

Two nights, usually paired with Borjomi on the way in or out.

When to go

Average daytime high, night-time low and rain days for Bakuriani, from five years of recorded observations rather than a forecast or a brochure.

Most workable months: Apr, Aug to Oct. Nowhere here rates as mild on our own scale, which is worth knowing before you book a single night for the view.