Paravani Lake is the largest lake in the country of Georgia. This volcanic lake lies at 2,072 meters above sea level and freezes completely in the winter. Local Armenians and Georgians often are seen fishing from the ice. During the summer fishing continues, along with lakeside hikes, picnics, etc. It is an excellent day trip destination from Tbilisi.
If you plan on visiting Georgia and want a great resource for weekend getaways, hikes or day trips out of the major cities, look no further then Weekend Travelers (https://wtgeorgia.com/). They have excellent itineraries that include several stops and meals. During the month of February, I took advantage of their frozen lake tour.
Walking across a frozen lake was an experience. It was surprisingly not too slippery because it had been freshly coated with snow. We saw several fisherman and a giant local dog who looked slightly like a tiny polar bear. The thickness of the ice during wintertime can range from 47 to 73 cm (19 to 29 in).
After frolicking a bit on the ice and posing for some excellent photos, we continued our journey to the St. Nino Nunnery of Poka, which is near an important pilgrimage site. They were not ready for us upon our first attempt to stop, so we decided to go for lunch first and try again after. For lunch, we ate at a small local restaurant owned by the Margaryan family. We had fresh fish, home-made bread, stuffed cabbages, a vast array of side dishes, and some Armenian Cognac. After lunch our whole group was ready for a nap.
We stopped for a different view of the lake, this part was more melted and less frozen, and then tried the Nunnery again. This go around they were ready to receive us, and we were able to peak into the 11th century church. We also saw a lot of older gravestones on the grounds, made snow angels, and shopped in their little gift store. All proceeds went to the church and the nunnery. The shops features chocolates, ceramics, cheeses, honey and lots of vodka and cha cha flavors.
Overall, this was a wonderful day trip and I recommend it to anyone visiting Georgia, especially during the winter. If you can manage to find a guided tour like we did, even better.
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