Stepantsminda

Stepantsminda (Georgian: სტეფანწმინდა; formerly Kazbegi, ყაზბეგი), is a small town in the Khevi region of northern Georgia.
The town is located along the banks of the Thergi River, 157km. (98 miles) to the north of Tbilisi at an elevation of 1,740 meters (5,710ft.) above sea level. Stepantsminda’s climate is moderately humid with relatively dry, cold winters and long and cool summers. The average annual temperature is 4.9 degrees Celsius. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of -5.2 degrees Celsius while July is the warmest month with an average temperature of 14.4 degrees Celsius. The absolute minimum recorded temperature is -34 degrees Celsius and the absolute maximum is 32 degrees Celsius. Stepantsminda’s average annual precipitation is 790mm. (31.1in.). The town is dominated by large mountains on all sides. The most notable mountain of the region, Mt. Kazbek, lies immediately to the west of town. The second most prominent peak, Mt. Shani, rises to an elevation of 4,451 meters (14,600ft.) above sea level, 9km to the east of Stepantsminda.
Stepantsminda is the hometown of Alexander Kazbegi.