Mtirala National Park

Mtirala is a national park in southwestern Georgia, in Adjara between the Black Sea and the Lesser Caucasus. Established in 2006, it became part of the UNESCO-listed Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands in 2021. Its name means 'crying,' a reference to the almost constant rain and moisture that define the landscape. Across roughly 15,700 hectares, pristine Colchic forests preserve sweet chestnut, oriental beech, Pontic rhododendron, cherry laurel, boxwood, and dense climbing vines. The park contains 284 plant species, including rare and endangered ones, and provides habitat for 95 animal species. Brown bears, lynx, Caucasian salamanders, vipers, and squirrels live beneath a canopy patrolled by hawks, kites, and small eagles. It is a place where nature seems to speak in a whisper through rain, mist, and deep greenery.

The forest is said to remember the retreat of the ice from the mountains. Mtirala survived the last Ice Age and has continued growing ever since, layer by layer and root by root. Its trees seem to preserve thousands of years of memory, making the forest a living witness to the earth's ancient history.