Valleys
Remote Valleys Worth The Journey
The Tusheti region of northeast Georgia is reachable from late June to early October by a single 70 km mountain road that crosses Abano Pass at 2,826 m. The pass is regularly listed in the world's most dangerous-road indexes; the locals will take you in a Soviet UAZ jeep for 100 GEL and play traditional polyphonic songs the entire way. At the top: 5 villages, 500 residents in summer, 38 in winter, no shops, no phone signal, sheep cheese cured in fresh sheepskin.
These eight valleys are physically hard to reach. That is the entire point. Each of them, for a different reason — geology, weather, paperwork — has kept the mass-tourism wave at bay, and in compensation offers things that aren't available 90 minutes from an airport.
Below: the road, the season, and the village you should stay in (not the popular one).
Late afternoon light, looking east. Photo by our regional correspondent.
Why This Place Matters
Tusheti, Georgia — the easternmost Caucasus valley, reachable only via the seasonal Abano Pass. UNESCO biosphere reserve, original Tushetian fortified houses with wooden balconies.
Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan — wide glacial U-valley at 3,000 m, wintering ground for 600+ black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollis) October to February.
Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland — 'the valley of 72 waterfalls' walled by 600 m cliffs; the village of Mürren on the western ledge is car-free and accessible only by funicular.
A Short History
Hunza Valley, Pakistan — the Burusho people of Hunza speak Burushaski, a language isolate with no known relatives; in the early 20th century Western visitors claimed the Hunzakuts routinely lived to 120. The claim was wrong but the longevity is real (median age 60s) due to apricot-and-walnut diet.
Engadin Valley, Switzerland — Romansh-speaking valley with St Moritz at one end and the original 'sgraffito' painted-facade villages of Guarda and Ardez in the middle; the Romansh language has been in continuous use here since Roman colonisation in 15 BC.
Mzymta Valley, Russia — Krasnaya Polyana subtropical pocket at 600 m altitude with tea plantations and the only sub-tropical rainforest in Russia.
What You Will Actually See
Tusheti, Georgia — Omalo (the regional capital, 1,880 m), the 12th-century fortified tower-village of Diklo, the highest Christian church in Europe at Bochorna (2,345 m).
Phobjikha, Bhutan — Gangtey Goemba monastery (1613), the Black-Necked Crane visitor centre, the Gangtey Nature Trail (3 hours).
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland — Trümmelbach Falls (10 glacier waterfalls inside the mountain, lift-accessed), Schilthorn cable car, the car-free villages of Wengen and Mürren.
Hunza Valley, Pakistan — Karimabad with the 7th-century Baltit Fort, Eagle's Nest viewpoint, Attabad Lake (formed 2010 by landslide).
Engadin Valley, Switzerland — sgraffito villages of Guarda and Ardez, Diavolezza glacier walk, Müstair monastery with 9th-century Carolingian frescoes.
Valle d'Aosta's Gran Paradiso side, Italy — village of Cogne with Edelweiss meadows, 80% likely sighting of ibex.
Mzymta Valley, Russia (Caucasus) — Krasnaya Polyana tea farms, Akhshtyr cave with 50,000-year-old human occupation, Akhshtyrsky Canyon.
Sasso di Castalda's covered Tibetan footbridge, Basilicata, Italy — a 300 m steel suspension bridge across a remote valley used as filming location for The Old Guard.
The kind of detail you only notice on the second visit.
Interesting Facts
A few quick notes on remote valleys worth the journey before the section below.
These are the details our correspondents most often get asked about by readers planning a trip.
Practical Information
Tusheti — only July to early September. Hire a UAZ jeep with driver in Telavi for 100 GEL one-way. Stay at Keselo Guesthouse in Omalo (cash only, no signal).
Phobjikha — visit November to February for the cranes; Bhutan requires a sustainable tourism fee of $200/day, so book through a Bhutanese operator like Bhutan Heritage Travels.
Lauterbrunnen — take the Jungfrau Travel Pass (CHF 190 for 6 days, includes all railways and cable cars). Stay in Mürren (Hotel Eiger or Pension Suppenalp) not Lauterbrunnen.
Hunza — fly Islamabad → Gilgit (1h, weather-dependent), then 3h drive north.
Interesting Facts
- Tusheti's Abano Pass road, completed 1978, is closed approximately 9 months a year due to snow and is rated one of the world's most dangerous roads.
- Phobjikha Valley hosts roughly 600 black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollis) each winter, about 8% of the global population.
- Lauterbrunnen Valley contains officially 72 named waterfalls along its 8 km length, including Staubbach Falls (297 m, free-falling).
- Hunza's Burushaski language has no known related language family in the world and is considered a true linguistic isolate.
- Müstair monastery in the Engadin contains the largest cycle of original Carolingian frescoes in the world, painted around AD 800.
Most travellers walk straight past this corner. Stop and look up.
How To Visit
Tbilisi → Tusheti: 3h drive to Telavi, then jeep ride 6h over Abano Pass.
Paro → Phobjikha: 5h drive east via Thimphu and Wangdue.
Interlaken → Lauterbrunnen: 30-min train, every 30 min, CHF 8.
Islamabad → Karimabad: PIA to Gilgit (weather permitting), 3h Karakoram Highway.
Final Thoughts
Remote valleys require commitment. The Tusheti road has killed people. Bhutan requires booking 8 weeks ahead. Hunza requires Pakistani visa paperwork.
In return: silence, scale, and a sense of distance that you cannot manufacture closer to home.
If we had three days and one budget: Engadin Valley in late September. Guarda's sgraffito facades, Müstair's Carolingian frescoes, the larch trees turning gold above 1,800 m — the most beautiful week of the European Alpine year.
If you read this article and noticed something we got wrong, please write to us. Reader corrections shape what we publish next.
Henrik Voss
Regional correspondent for WIGO Trips. Writes about overlooked places and quiet histories.
