As I mentioned in a previous post where I talked a bit about Russian cities that we've visited on our way here, Georgia is a wonderful country with a long history, breathtaking nature and amazing people, cuisine and wine. It's also one of the safest countries in the world.
We've spent there a few days and to be honest, now Tbilisi is on the list of my favorite cities. I strongly suggest you to visit it, especially in a warm time of the year. We've been there in the middle of June and I think this is a really good time for visiting: it was up to 30 degrees in the daytime and in the evening temperature drops so you can enjoy your walk and dinner outside. And at this time the city wasn't crowded with tourists that much.
And if one day you decide to come to that beautiful city, here's a list of must-see places:
Bridge of Peace
Bridge of Peace was open only in 2010 and it connects Old Tbilisi with the new district. It looks very modern and pretty impressive, especially at night.
And right next to it we found this little shop with drinks, snacks and these weirdly formed things called "churchhella" which basically are made of grape juice and nuts. And they're just yummm! But you can find them literally everywhere, including supermarkets.
Rike Park
On the other side of Kura river is a beautiful modern park, very comfortable for some rest after a long walk. There are lots of flowers, benches and a wonderful view on Narikala mountain.
Europe Square
Narikala mountain
This is one of the main tourist attractions in Tbilisi and here's a reason for that: from Narikala opens a great view of the whole city. It also has a fortress and a church up there. You can get there by funicular from Rike Park.
And if you're looking for some fun, a little bit higher there's Mtatsminda entertainment park with lots of attractions for children and adults. You can get there by taxi.
When it comes to public transport, in Tbilisi you can use metro, buses and minibusses. There are also bus routes between cities. If you prefer taxi, you'll probably be happy to find lots of cabs all over the city, prices are very affordable. Although be prepared for some fast rides - this south way of driving seems really unsafe sometimes.
Old city
As to myself, I divided this old part of Tbilisi to "modern old town" and "old old town".
Modern old town is where most tourists are. It's renovated, filled with fancy restaurants, cafes and shops.
But once you get off of this tourist route, you see something like that. That's what I called old old town and this is where you meet authentic Tbilisi.
And somewhere around this area, we found a tiny Georgian restaurant in the cellar, where they cook amazing food and it's super cheap!
Baths
Actually, baths are also a part of old town. Basically it's the reason why this city was even built. It's where it's started.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Holy Trinity cathedral is pretty much the most famous cathedral in Tbilisi. Again, one of the most touristic places of the city, even though it's quite new and was built in 2004.
Enter is free, but I wouldn't say that it's necessary to go inside. It's very simple and I clearly felt like it's not finished yet (well, you can see those scaffoldings). But the cathedral outside looks extremely beautiful and this view is definitely worth going up there.
We spent in Tbilisi only about 4 days and I'd say that I need a couple more to explore some things that we haven't seen. It's beautiful in its contrasts. But for sure I recommend you to see it yourself and make up your own opinion.
And it's the end of the second part of our trip to Georgia. The next place is Batumi!
Let me know if you'd like to visit Georgia or if you've already been there :)
xx, D
part one of our road trip
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