Georgia is no longer a backpacker’s secret. Where once only intrepid travellers traversed its green valleys and mountainous trails, today visitors come for Tbilisi’s nightclubs, world-class restaurants and an emerging natural wine scene.

However, the star of the show is still those old churches, watchtowers and monasteries that line Georgia’s countryside. Move beyond the cities and you’ll enter a world untouched by time, complete with Russian, Turkish and Persian influences.