Chvabiani: Church Art and Hiking Route

Chvabiani combines a specific hiking route with a distinctive focus on medieval church art. The village lies along the route from Mestia to Zhabeshi; at the same time, the Church of the Savior, with its architectural history, interior paintings, and highland setting, shapes the area’s historical character. This gives you two different starting points for planning your trip: a longer hike and an interest in sacred architecture in Svaneti.

Hiking the Mestia–Zhabeshi Route

The 17-kilometer hiking route from Mestia to Zhabeshi passes through Chvabiani and follows the Mulkhura Valley. The full route takes about six to seven hours. It offers views toward the Svaneti peaks of Ushba, Tetnuldi, and Gistola.

The view from the Church of the Savior in the highlands also stretches far, taking in Svan towers, the village, and the twin peaks of Ushba. Ushba thus appears both in the church’s field of view and in the vistas along the hiking route; Tetnuldi and Gistola are mentioned in connection with the route. The comparison shows how the viewpoints offer different mountain scenery.

The Church of the Savior and Its Paintings

The Church of the Savior in Chvabiani was built in the 10th century. An Asomtavruli inscription attributes its construction and decoration to Bende, Amrola, and Michael of the Amroleani family. The Deesis composition in the apse is dated to the 13th century. Thus, the church’s construction and the dating of one of its pictorial compositions belong to different centuries.

The interior paintings combine a strongly classicizing style with local traditions of early Svaneti art. The architecture and frescoes together contribute to the church’s historical and artistic significance. A late medieval bell tower also stands in the northwestern part of the churchyard.

Other Historical Sites in Chvabiani

Chvabiani’s historical character extends beyond the Church of the Savior. The Omar-Margiani complex is classified as a state-owned medieval civil-defensive site. The Church of St. George in Chvabiani is classified as a local late medieval place of worship. Chvabiani is also classified as a medieval urban site. This urban perspective broadens the view from individual buildings to the village as a whole.

The Church of the Savior is also a possible destination for an excursion in Svaneti, in the municipality of Muzhali. You can therefore choose different focuses for your trip: the hiking route, which takes about six to seven hours in total, or the church’s architectural and artistic history, with its connections to different periods.

The Regional Setting: Samegrelo and Upper Svaneti

The broader travel destination of Samegrelo and Upper Svaneti encompasses the historical and geographical region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, which consists of Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti. Their respective centers are Zugdidi and Mestia. Upper Svaneti was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996 and described as an exceptional mountain landscape with medieval villages and defensive towers. This broader regional landscape includes gorges, alpine valleys, and snow-covered mountain scenery. Zemo Svaneti also features alpine nature, clear lakes, the Enguri River and its fast-flowing tributaries, and waterfalls. This regional perspective complements the local one: in Chvabiani, the Church of the Savior and the Mestia–Zhabeshi hiking route that passes through the village take center stage.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Nashtkoli, Chkhorotsku, Martvili, Lakhushdi, Adishi, Darcheli, Lalkhori, Jvari

For the broader travel overview: Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti.