Georgia’s highland region of Svaneti attracts tourists

Friday, October 25, 2019

The village of Lenjeri is a maze of medieval towers, ancient ruins and eligible bachelors.

Twenty young local men are in need of wives, said schoolteacher Lali Khaptani.

“Be warned that after you set your foot in my house and break bread with me, we become a family, like it or not,” Khaptani said. These are the old ways of hospitality, once revered in Georgia’s highland region of Svaneti.

Every family home had its own towers to defend against invaders – feudal barons, foreign armies and government officials – leaving the region largely free of external rule.

These days, the towers stand as an attraction for invaders of a different kind, i.e. armies of tourists. Travelers from America to China and everywhere in between visit the hamlets of Svaneti. The boom is changing the way of life in Svaneti. The Svans have gradually learned to monetize their mountains and culture. Many lament that hospitality has become an industry.

“We used to say ‘How are you?’ as a way of greeting, now they say ‘How many?’ as in how many customers have you had today,” Khaptani said, with a sting of distaste in her voice.
“The Svan language is disappearing,” she said resignedly. “The more people come to Svaneti, the less there is use for Svan. Georgian and English is what everyone wants now.”

However, there is also a bright side. Those who had left Lenjeri to escape mountain life have come back now, since there are economic opportunities in Svaneti. “It warms my heart to see people return, and we have tourism to thank for it,” Khaptani added.

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