It runs between Tbilisi (Georgia) and Vadikavkaz (Russia) and stretches some 220 kilometers through forests, mountains, and mountain passes. The road was built by the Russians between 1799 and 1863 and follows the traditional route used by invaders and traders throughout the ages.
The road reaches an altitude of 7815 feet as it traverses the mountains. Among the scenic attractions found along its course are Mount Kazbek, Darial Gorge, Gergeti Trinity Church, and the medieval fortress of Ananauri.
The Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov memorialized the road in his A Hero of our Time.