It's thought that people have been flocking to the remote reaches of Borjomi, high up in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, for thousands of years. Indeed, the fabled healing powers of the town's natural spring water, fed by the fingers of the glaciers that spread out along the Trialeti peaks, is still celebrated to this day – and remains one of the country's largest exports. However, water – and all the spas and hydrotherapy clinics that go with it – are just a part of the attraction. Borjomi tour guides also wax lyrical about the sheer beauty of their small town. It's nestled between two walls of rock on the edge of the Mtkvari River, awash with pastel-painted Russian aristocracy architecture, encircled by forests of maple and oak. Those surroundings entice adventurers of all sorts. The Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park and its toppling pine trees and sheer-cut peaks is indeed something to behold, hosting famous hiking trails that bear the names of Russian Tsars. The amazing remains of Vardzia are just a day trip away, where 1000-year-old frescos lurk in ancient cave temples above the bending Kura River.