Zemo-Mleta, known as Mletа until the 20th century, is a small town in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region. The Georgian Military Road, which passed by the village, was the only link between Russia and the Caucasus, allowing Mleta to develop rapidly— a post station and an inn were built here, and stagecoaches traveling between Vladikavkaz and Tiflis (Tbilisi) would stop here for rest.
Since 1861, Mleta became the main hospitality center of the entire Georgian Military Road, and a stop here was considered the most comfortable and convenient on the long journey. This fact is confirmed by the flattering review of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who stayed here on the night of April 11-12, 1886: “After Godoura [Gudauri], we rapidly descended into Mleta. The road is marvelous. Here, we were given two imperial rooms, which appeared extraordinarily pleasant and clean, and after the horrors of Vladikavkaz (referring to the ‘France’ hotel, opened in the 1880s), I felt very comfortable here.”