The defensive towers of Svaneti — koshi in Svan — are the defining feature of the landscape, and the reason Svaneti looks unlike anywhere else in Europe. About 175 towers survive across the region, ranging from simple square structures of 10 metres to elaborate 25-metre constructions with corner buttresses and machicolation. They were used for refuge during raids, for inter-family conflict (blood feuds were common), and as a status marker. Most are still inhabited or owned by families, which means access is at the owner's discretion.
The finest concentrations are in Ushguli, where perhaps 20 towers still stand, and in Mestia, where the skyline of the town is defined by them. Each village also tends to have a community tower on the highest ground, used as a watchtower for the whole settlement. Walking between villages on the Mestia-Ushguli trail, you can see the towers of each new village appearing on the hillside ahead — a sight that looks ancient and is.