Georgia's ghost towns are born from three distinct forces that have emptied communities across the Caucasus: the Soviet industrial collapse of 1991 that drained mining and factory towns of their purpose overnight; the devastating wars in Abkhazia (1992–93) and South Ossetia (1991–92, 2008) that displaced entire ethnic communities; and the long rural exodus from the mountain villages of Svaneti, Khevsureti and Tusheti that has been emptying the highland settlements since the Soviet era. Tkuarchal in Abkhazia — a Soviet coal mining town besieged in 1992–93 — is one of the most complete ghost town experiences in the post-Soviet world. The mountain villages of upper Svaneti, abandoned over decades of depopulation, create ghost town landscapes of extraordinary medieval beauty. Discover the 5 best ghost towns in Georgia, selected from our Georgia Urbex Map — 100+ verified GPS locations.
Why Georgia Has the Most Diverse Ghost Town Landscape in the Caucasus
Soviet industrial collapse, ethnic conflict displacement and centuries-long mountain rural exodus produce three entirely different ghost town typologies in one country — the coal mining ghost town, the conflict-displaced village and the medieval Svan tower settlement — creating a Georgian ghost town landscape of extraordinary variety.
1. Tkuarchal (Tkvarcheli) – Eastern Abkhazia — Soviet Coal Mining Town 1942, Besieged 1992–93, Population Collapsed, Partially Abandoned, Aerial Tramway, Mountain Setting (Known Location)
Tkvarchali is a town and popular tourist attraction known as an abandoned ghost town. The city of Tkuarchal was officially established in Soviet times in 1942, although a small settlement existed here before. Tkuarchal was besieged during the 1992–93 Abkhazia war and suffered extreme humanitarian crisis — the post-war population collapse left a partially abandoned Soviet mining town whose derelict mine infrastructure, still-operating aerial tramway and extraordinary mountain setting in inland Abkhazia create a ghost town experience of unusual historical depth. ⚠️ Access via Russia — illegal under Georgian law. Check your government travel advisory.
🔗 Sources: RFERL – Abandoned Buildings Abkhazia | Atlas Obscura – Sukhumi Abandoned
2. Abandoned Svan Mountain Village – Upper Svaneti — Medieval Tower Houses, Rural Exodus Post-Soviet, Population 228 (Ushguli 2014), UNESCO Heritage Context, 2,100m Altitude (Known Location)
Ushguli is a community of five medieval villages located at the head of the Enguri gorge in Svaneti, Georgia. Ushguli is one of the highest continuously inhabited settlements in Europe, at an altitude of 2,100 metres. Because of their preservation and traditional architecture, Ushguli, Mestia, and the surrounding area was recognized as the Upper Svaneti UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Beyond the UNESCO-protected active settlements, several Svan mountain villages in the broader Upper Svaneti area have been entirely or near-entirely abandoned — the medieval stone tower houses empty, the narrow cobbled paths overgrown and the extraordinary Caucasus landscape unchanged for centuries. All GPS in our Georgia Urbex Map.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Soviet Abandoned Buildings in Georgia →
3. Chiatura – Imereti — Soviet Mining Town, Post-Industrial Ghost Quarter, Cliff-Face Districts Emptied, Derelict Buildings Between Active Town, "Flying Venice"
After the end of the Cold War, work in the old mines started drying up and many inhabitants left Chiatura in search of work elsewhere. The population decreased tremendously, many houses got abandoned. We passed several large abandoned buildings and the apartment blocks that were inhabited seemed to be in poor condition. Chiatura is not entirely a ghost town — but its cliff-face residential districts, emptied as mining families left when the manganese industry declined, create extensive ghost quarter zones within the living town: entire streets of derelict Soviet apartment blocks on the cliff faces, accessible via the cable car network, with the inhabited valley town active below. All GPS in our Georgia Urbex Map.
4. South Ossetian Buffer Zone Village – Gori District, Shida Kartli — Conflict-Displaced Villages, 2008 War, Georgian Ethnic Villages Emptied, Accessible from Georgian Side (Hidden on Our Map)
The tumultuous events of the 2008 Russo-Georgian War cast a shadow on the town of Gori — Russian forces targeted military installations and residential sectors. The disused railway to South Ossetia remains abandoned since the early 1990s. The villages in the Gori district along the boundary of the Russian-controlled South Ossetian zone were emptied of their Georgian ethnic populations during and after the 2008 war — several remain partially or completely abandoned within Georgian-controlled territory, accessible by car from Gori. The combination of the Kartli plain landscape, the abandoned Georgian farmhouses and the proximity to the frozen conflict boundary creates a ghost village typology unique in Europe. GPS in our Georgia Urbex Map.
5. Abandoned Samegrelo Plain Village – Near Zugdidi — Agricultural Collapse Post-Soviet, Megrelian Traditional Houses, Subtropical Forest Reclaiming, Inguri River Plain (On Our Map Only)
The Samegrelo plain villages near Zugdidi suffered compound abandonment — Soviet collective farm collapse in the 1990s compounded by the IDP crisis that concentrated the region's population in Zugdidi city. Several Samegrelo villages on the Inguri River plain are in states of near-complete abandonment: the traditional Megrelian wooden farmhouses consumed by the subtropical Colchic forest, the village wells overgrown and the agricultural outbuildings with Soviet-era equipment still in place. The specifically western Georgian ghost village typology — subtropical lushness consuming abandoned architecture at tropical speed — is unlike any ghost town landscape in Eastern Europe. GPS in our Georgia Urbex Map.
Safety Tips
- South Ossetian boundary: never approach boundary markers or enter Russian-controlled South Ossetian territory — the boundary is not always clearly marked; always use GPS and check current boundary maps from the Georgian government before visiting buffer zone villages
- Tkuarchal / Abkhazia: entry via Russia is illegal under Georgian law — check your government travel advisory before any Abkhazia visit; the political situation remains unresolved
- Mountain village access: Svan mountain village tracks can be impassable in rain and are closed by snow from November to April — always check conditions; 4WD required
- Never explore alone — in remote Georgian mountain and conflict-adjacent areas, mobile signal is absent for extended periods; always share GPS location before departing; Georgia emergency: 112
❓ FAQ
Are there ghost towns in Georgia?
Yes — Georgia has three distinct ghost town typologies: Soviet industrial ghost towns (Tkuarchal coal mining town, Chiatura's emptied cliff districts), conflict-displacement ghost villages (Abkhazia, South Ossetian buffer zone) and mountain rural exodus ghost settlements (Svan tower house villages in upper Svaneti, Megrelian plain villages near Zugdidi). All three are represented in our Georgia Urbex Map with GPS and current access notes.
What is the best ghost town in Georgia?
For the most complete ghost town experience within Georgian-controlled territory, the South Ossetian buffer zone villages in the Gori district — accessible by car from Gori, emptied by the 2008 war, the Georgian farmhouses left intact. For Soviet industrial ghost town scale, Chiatura's cliff-face residential districts emptied by the mining decline. For medieval atmosphere, the abandoned Svan mountain villages of upper Svaneti.
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