Mount Kazbek is the second highest peak in Georgia (5033 meters), after Mount Shkhara (5193m), but its beauty impresses all tourists. Many people consider Kazbek one of the symbols of Georgia. It is an extinct stratovolcano that can still wake up. The last eruption of Kazbek was around 650 BC.
The highest mountain of the Caucasus Range is Elbrus (5642 m). It is also the highest mountain in Europe. In addition to Elbrus in the Caucasus there are 4 more mountains higher than Kazbek: Dykhtau (5205 m), Shkhara (5193 m), Koshtantau (5151 m), Dzhangitau (5051 m). However, these mountains are located in hard-to-reach places of the Main Caucasus Range, and only Kazbek and Elbrus are located near convenient gorges where the tourist infrastructure has been formed.
The resort village of Stepantsminda (formerly Kazbegi) is located at the foot of Kazbek Mountain. The mountain rises very beautifully above the Georgian-Military Road. Kazbek can be admired from the village, but it looks most impressive if you go up to the ancient Church of the Holy Trinity of Gergeti. It was built in the 14th century on a mountain (height 2170 m), which offers a magnificent view of Mount Kazbek and the Valley of the Terek River. Previously, it was possible to get to the church only by a SUV, but in 2018 a nice road was paved there, accessible to absolutely any car.
From Trinity Church there are several trails for trekking along the slopes of Mount Kazbek. There are very beautiful places here, but, of course, we are talking about tracking of high complexity. The farthest route is the path from the monastery to the Gergeti glacier. His tongue goes down the slope of Kazbek below the others. The distance from the monastery to the glacier is 7 kilometers, and the climb is 1000 meters. That is, we are talking about a full-fledged ascent along a fairly steep slope of Kazbek to a height of 3170 meters. On this trail there is a small monument to Sabertse and several points with magnificent views not only of Kazbek, but also of other mountains of the Main Caucasus Range.
If you are not going to go to the glacier, then you can just take a walk in the vicinity of Trinity Church to see Kazbek from different points. According to Georgian legends, Prometheus, who stole fire from the god Hephaestus and gave it to people, was chained on Mount Kazbek. In Russia, there are also two rocks on the Black Sea coast, where, according to legend, Prometheus was chained, one of them is Mount Fisht (2867 m), as well as low Eagle Rocks.
