Lamproba (Svan Torch Festival)
A winter night of burning torches in Upper Svaneti, held to honour the dead and to call for a good spring.
MestiaPhoto: Q-lieb-in, CC BY-SA 4.0Lamproba is one of the oldest rituals in Svaneti. After dark, each family's men carry long birch torches, one for every son in the household, to the village church or to a high point above the houses. The torches are piled into a single bonfire while the villagers sing, pray for the souls of their ancestors and ask for a healthy year and a strong harvest. A shared meal follows.
It is a living village tradition, not a staged show, and each community runs it in its own way. Mestia and the villages around it are the easiest to reach in winter, when the road from Zugdidi is kept open and the ski areas at Hatsvali and Tetnuldi are running.
- Ask your guesthouse host which village holds the ritual and at what time; they differ.
- Keep a respectful distance and ask before photographing people at prayer.
- Winter driving to Mestia needs good tyres; the flight from Natakhtari is often cancelled by weather.
Where to see it
Last checked Oct 2026 by the Maspindzeli team. Mountain conditions change: ask us before you go.
More in February and after
A pre-Christian village carnival with masked players, mock weddings, comic plays and plenty of wine.
8 Mar 2027International Women's DayA second spring day off in March, when women receive flowers and small gifts from colleagues and family.
3 Mar 2027Mother's DayA national day off when Georgians bring flowers to their mothers and grandmothers.