Region : Imereti
Municipality : Kharagauli
Kharagauli District (area 91.9 km2) is situated in the geographical center of Georgia, in the South-East of Imereti. The region is bordered by Khashuri and Sachkhere Districts from the East, Zestaponi and Baghdati Districts – from the West, Chiatura and Sachkhere Districts – from the North, Borjomi and Baghdati Districts – from the South. The administrative center of the District is Kharagauli. The District includes 20 territorial units. The number of the villages of Kharagauli District amounts to 78.
Kharagauli District is mountainous. Its territory includes parts of Imereti Hill, Likhi and Meskheti (the highest point – Sametskhvario Mountain – 2624m) Ranges. The highway connecting with the East Georgia runs through Surami (948 m) and Rikoti (999 m) passes.
The territory of the District is supplied with the main and transport lines.
Administrative center of the district is Kharagauli (3215 dwellers). It is situated on both banks of the river Chkherimela, in a rather narrow and deep gorge, 280-400 m above sea level. The mainline railroad passes through the settlement, with 10 km Kharagauli – Dzirula road it is connected to the motorway that unites the West and the East of Georgia.
The principal treasure of the district is the forest that covers 2/3 of the total area (68.2%).
Tourism potential of Kharagauli - “Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park”.
From the resorts of the district Nunisi and Zvare should be noted.
“Nunisi of the three” is an elite mountain resort. It is popular due to warm (27-28 °C) sulfur-mineral water that is used for treatment of skin diseases, chronic diseases of motional organs and diseases of peripheral nervous system.
The information is used from Iza Vepkhvadze’s book “Kharagauli”.
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park
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Category : sightseeings
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park has 12 tourist trails. It is possible to hike on the National Park territory from 1 to 5 days.
During hiking, tourists can stay at night in a specially arranged tourist shelters or in a tent on a specially set out camping places.
In order to go on the National Park hiking trails, you will have to go to the visitor's centres of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park administration in Borjomi or Kharagauli.
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is located in Central Georgia, in the Lesser Caucasus region. It is one of the largest national parks in Europe and is located on the territory of Samtskhe-Javakheti, Imereti and Shida Kartli.
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is distinguished due to its distinctive biodiversity and vulnerability. The ecoregion is included in the list of 34 Preferred Eco-Regions of the World Nature Fund and 34 Hot Spots of International Conservation.
Protected Areas are located on the edge of two such hotspots (Caucasus and Anatolia).
The main treasure of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is the forest, which occupies 75% of the territory. There are large areas of intact sections of the mixed forest areas of the Caucasus; There are fragments of unique, relict Colchian forests.
Around a quarter of the park's territory is occupied by subalpine and alpine meadows, as well as Deka (birches of a relic Caucasian rhododendron). Park is particularly rich with relic, endemic, rare and vulnerable species of not only flora but also of fauna.
There are 64 species of mammals on the territory of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, 11 of which are endemic to Caucasus and 8 species are listed in the Red List of Georgia. There are 217 species of birds and nesting birds, 13 of which are listed in the Georgian Red List. In wet forests of protected areas, 30 species of reptiles inhabit, 3 of which are endemic to the western Caucasus and 2 species are listed in the Red List.
Protected territories preserve rare or endangered species and subspecies of large mammals and birds involved in the Red list of Georgia, such as Caucasian red deer, Brown Bear and etc.