Mountain spa and health resort of Utsera is located in Upper Racha, 15 km away from Oni. The name of the village is linked with the Georgian queen, Tamar: it looks like Tamar and her ilk travelled in her kingdom. When she was in Racha, she visited Utsera, was enchanted with its beauty and said: “Oh, what unspeakable beauty.” As they say, in the course of time, the word ‘unspeakable’ changed and this settlement was called ‘Utsera’ (un-writable’ in Georgian). The village is overlooked by so called ‘Crystal mountain’ where crystal glass fragments are mined. In Utsera 28 various springs gush out of the ground natural mineral water on the surface. As far back as Vakhushti Bagrationi wrote about them in his work. One of the springs known under the name of Gveriti was uncovered in the end of XIX century by brothers Gamkrelidze. Water flowing out of the outlet in their estate cured one of the brother’s acute pain in the stomach. The Gamkrelidze brothers invited medicine commission from Tbilisi. Evidence was found that Gveriti water had unique therapeutic properties. In 1913-1914 one of the commercial entities of France got interested in exporting Utsera water to Europe and offered Gamkrelidze brothers 45-year long lease agreement. The brothers agreed provided that local population would consume water free, that was unacceptable for the French and the deal was killed. Today mineral waters of Utsera are used both as a table drink and for taking baths. Healing properties have also magnificent coniferous groves and mixed (pine, fir, oak, beech, hornbeam, chestnut and others) forests. Aiming at conservation of mountain and high mountain biomes, in the nearest future it is planned to set up homogeneous preserved territories in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti with estimated territory of 229 532 ha. The preserved territory will bring about National Park of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, 12 notable sights of nature and 4 Managed Preserved Territories that are home to endemic flora and fauna of Caucasus, Georgia and the region, where tens of plant and animal species from the ‘Red List’ of Georgia are distributed. This is the place having one of the highest ecological value and development potential for ecotourism. 

 

1. Oni municipality. Utsera.

2. Synagogue in Oni (1895). Building was constructed with white limestone and is the third largest in Georgia after synagogues in Tbilisi and Kutaisi. Oni is one of the towns in Georgia, where one of the first ethnic groups of Jews who moved to Georgia densely settled. Nowadays Oni Synagogue is closed, as Jews who lived in Oni moved to their Promised Land.

 

Location: Southern slope of the main range (watershed) of Greater Kavkasioni, gorge of river Rioni

Distance: 15 km away from Oni, 320 km away from Tbilisi (via Tkibuli)

Sea level: 1150 m

Landscape: mountainous

Climate: middle mountain climate (lower belt), winter cold, snowy, mean temperature in January -5 degrees centigrade; summer moderately warm, mean temperature in August 17 degrees centigrade

Average annual precipitation: 1495 mm

Average comparative annual humidity: 72%

Duration of annual sunny light: 2000 h.

Natural treatment factors: low mountain, lower belt climate and three 

types of mineral waters: carbohydrate, iron, boron, hydro-carbonate, sodium (and calcium) mineral waters, with general mineralization of 1,4-2,0 g/dm3; carbohydrate, hydro-carbonate, sodium (or sodium) mineral waters, with general mineralization from 2,2 g/dm3 to 27,0 g/dm3; carbohydrate, hydro-carbonate, magnesiumcalcium mineral waters with general mineralization of 1,8-2,0 g/dm3; discharge – 50 thous. l/day of Borjomi-type water and 500 000 – Narzan-type water

Types of therapy: mineral water baths and application (drinking), passive climate therapy

Diseases for treatment: food digestion (stomach and duodenum ulcer) and urinary system tracts, upper respiratory tracts and gynecological diseases, anemia, light bronchial asthma with first degree of breathing insufficiency or without it.