Stepantsminda, Mountain settlement in Kazbegi Municipality, Georgia.
Stepantsminda is a mountain settlement in Kazbegi Municipality sitting at 1,740 meters elevation alongside the Terek River. The town is framed by snow-capped peaks and alpine grasslands of the Caucasus range.
The settlement was previously named Kazbegi until it was renamed Stepantsminda in honor of a monk called Stephan who established a hermitage during the Georgian Military Highway's construction. This renaming marked a shift in how the local community remembered its spiritual roots.
The Trinity Church sits on a hillside overlooking the settlement and serves as a gathering place for residents' spiritual life. Its position above the town reflects how deeply Orthodox faith shapes the community's relationship with this landscape.
The settlement is accessible from Tbilisi by marshrutka along the Georgian Military Highway in about three hours, with regular departures from Didube bus station. This makes it a manageable day trip or stopover for those traveling through the mountain region.
The surrounding highlands shelter East Caucasian tur and chamois among its rocky slopes and alpine grasslands. These wild animals can sometimes be spotted during hikes through the landscape, adding an element of wildlife encounter to any visit.
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