Grass pasture in the Kakheti prairie by resuimages

A few kilometres away from the Kapadze salt lake, near Sataple, Kakheti, cattle eat lean, sunburnt grass. Georgia has breathtaking landscapes. Vast steppe landscapes in the South Caucasus. The largest mountain range in Europe - the mighty Great Caucasus. The highest mountain in the country is the Shchara at 5,201 metres. Hilly vineyards where vines were already cultivated 8,000 years ago. Georgia, with its tradition of winemaking, is the cradle of wine. Making wine in qvevri (kvevri) - a clay vessel dug into the earth - is a unique Georgian tradition that is a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. The 300-kilometre-long Black Sea coast in the west, with its typical iron-rich black sand, is known for its slightly magnetic sand and its healing powers. On other coasts, however, such as in Batumi, there are stone and pebble beaches. Georgia's landscapes are as diverse as its people and its turbulent history. Since ancient times, important trade routes have led through Georgia. Trading peoples, but also the various conquerors and foreign rulers of modern times have left their traces in the Caucasus country. People settled in Georgia as early as 1.8 million years ago. The skull of a Homo erectus, which was found in a Caucasus valley in 1999, shows: Originally from Africa, humans had their first European settlement site in Georgia. Over the millennia, many migrating peoples mixed with the sedentary population and created a diverse cultural area. The first state structures on Georgian soil were formed as early as the 4th century BC. They interacted with the cultures of Mesopotamia and the peoples of Anatolia. From ancient Greece, merchants brought not only goods, but also their mythology.