Chadner Navarro, in an article published on Bloomberg Pursuit’s luxury travel section, lists Tbilisi and Gudauri, Georgia, among the five combo destinations where you are able to experience history, culture and skiing.
“Pairing the delights of experiencing a culture capital or historical site with the adrenaline of a few glorious days on the slopes is a total travel twofer. Here are five such combos you might never have considered,” the author of the article writes, starting with Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. “Is there currently a buzzier capital in Europe than Georgia’s Tbilisi? Travelers from around the globe have recently been captivated by its head-turning mix of old-world sights (like the fourth century fortress that lords over the city), unique culinary traditions, and Soviet-era architecture. While you’re there, check out Fabrika, an old sewing factory that now houses bars and artists’ studios—it’s a great example of Tbilisi’s booming art scene. Or find out why this is Eastern Europe’s hottest party city, with late-night jaunts to Bassiani (abandoned pool turned techno hub) and Didi Gallery, a smallish club that attracts global house DJs,” he writes, moving on to Gudauri ski resort, pointing it out as “one of Europe’s most exciting new ski areas”.
“With only 30 miles of skiable terrain and seven lifts, it’s not the sprawling winter wonderland of your dreams, but it is Georgia’s highest and largest resort, with excellent cat skiing, heli-skiing, and night skiing options. And it’s still growing. This year, an almost 5-mile-long cable car route will connect Gudauri to neighboring Kobi, creating a unified ski area”, Chadner Navarro writes in his recent piece, recommending to stay at one of the Rooms Hotels, either in Tbilisi or in Kazbegi.
“Rooms Hotels is a Georgian hospitality company that specializes in cool, hipster-approved accommodations with mix-and-match design, up-and-coming art, and internationally inspired, sustainable dining (the one in the capital is new American, and serves a fabulous Georgian steak fillet). Conveniently, it has great hotels in both Tbilisi and the mountain town of Kazbegi. But if all you want is one great powder day, spring for a helicopter transfer from the capital to the slopes. It’s only a 30-minute ride, so you can hit first chair and get back to town in time for a pre-dinner massage,” the author of the article says.
The other recommended destinations to combine culture and skiing include Turkey’s Cappadocia, and Mount Erciyes, Switzerland’s Lucerne and Klewenalp, Oslo, Norway and Slovenia’s Ljubljiana and Vogel.
Read the full article here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-07/these-five-great-european-trips-combine-both-culture-and-skiing
By Nino Gugunishvili