European low-cost airline EasyJet is launching direct flights between Geneva and Tbilisi. The information is released by the National Tourism Administration. According to the agency, the new route significantly simplifies travel to Georgia from Switzerland and increases interest in the country’s tourism potential.

The Swiss online publication Pichon Voyageur publishes an article highlighting the tourist and cultural attractiveness of Georgia. The journalist of the publication traveled to Georgia as part of a press tour of the National Tourism Administration.

"A four-hour flight from Switzerland, straddling Europe and Asia, Georgia is known for its traditional cuisine and fine wines.

What explains the current enthusiasm of the French-speaking Swiss for this Caucasian republic? ...Its wide open spaces, which attract backpackers eager for hiking? Ecotourism established in rural areas? The seaside pleasures of the Black Sea? The mix of modernity and heritage, or – quite simply – the kindness and hospitality of the locals?

Yes, Georgians welcome their guests warmly, though without the sometimes obsequious smile common in other latitudes. They are rarely taken aback when it comes to discussing their past: "Historians estimate that the very first state on the territory of Georgia – the Kingdom of Kolkhida – appeared in the middle of the 1st millennium BC," explains Luka Mamniashvili, a 30-year-old native of the capital. "We quickly adopted Christianity, hence our many Orthodox churches and monasteries with beautiful architecture." He cites a host of monasteries, such as Mtskheta (known for its famous relic: the so-called Holy Tunic of Christ).

Hiking - Georgia`s nature - made up of high snow-capped mountains, verdant hills, subtropical forests, and crystal-clear lakes - invites you to hike in a fortunately preserved environment. In the southeast, Vashlovani National Park takes on the appearance of a vast savannah spanning 48 km2. Virtually deserted by humans, it`s home to a wide variety of birds, reptiles, and – surprise - gazelles once imported from Africa. Nestled in their rocky settings, abandoned camps play out a Western feel.

First landmarks - Before setting off on your adventure, it would be a shame to miss Tbilisi, which has become a trendy urban destination. Cobblestone streets, old factories and workshops transformed into concept stores, futuristic architecture that mocks Soviet constructions, and converted administrative buildings, like the former post office that has become The Telegraph, a luxury hotel with impeccable design.

It is advisable to reach the Narikala fortress by taking the cable car from the old town. From this citadel, you can clearly see the topography of the city, which stretches along both banks of the Mtkvari River.

You can walk back down, through fig and pear trees, along steep alleys lined with venerable wooden houses with ornate balconies. Finally, you arrive at Abanotubani, the district of sulfurous baths. Impossible to miss: light stone domes emerge from the ground, like astronomical cupolas. There are said to have been as many as 65 in the capital; only a dozen remain, including the so-called Orbeliani, which resemble Persian mosques. Why not treat yourself to a beneficial immersion there, if you don`t find the rotten egg smell prohibitive?

Cradle of viticulture - Locals claim that the word "wine" comes from the Georgian ghvino and that their winemaking traditions are 8,000 years old. We"re inclined to believe them, given the impressive range of wines from the country`s different regions, consumed locally and abroad. The best known are the white wine "Tsinandali", the semi-sweet red "Akhasheni", the semi-sweet red "Kindzmarauli", the dry white "Kakheti", and the semi-sweet red and white "Alazani Valley".

Give time to time - Half as populated as Switzerland, the Caucasian republic has undergone profound changes since the fall of the USSR. Its transition continues in the Tbilisi movement, which reflects the country"s changing international image. In the 1990s, the collapse of the Eastern Bloc generated an economic crisis and separatist conflicts, compounded by endemic corruption, which remains difficult to eradicate.

Traveling to Georgia also means accepting to slow down. The country - while open to foreign visitors - maintains a form of restraint. It does not seek to please at all costs and still escapes overtourism. Above all, it is a climate, an atmosphere, an invitation to the unexpected, to suspended time, and to the freedom to chart one`s own course", - reads the article, published by the Pichon Voyageur.