Chiatura. Non-standard tourism in the homeland of Ostap Bender. The pearl of tourist Georgia. Chiatura's famous cable cars.

Chiatura is a small town located in the western part of Imereti, famous for its cable cars and the fact that Ostap Bender was born there... More precisely, not the hero of Ilf and Petrov's novels himself, but one of the best performers of the role of Ostap, Archil Gomiashvili.

The town itself is located between high mountains, in the gorge of the Kvirila River. The basis of the urban economy is "Chiaturmarganets" - deposits of manganese ore were discovered more than a hundred years ago. The company itself, at the moment, is one of the largest producers of manganese concentrates in the world.

In Soviet times Chiatura was considered the pearl of tourist Georgia. Despite the fact that the gloss has faded over time, the city is still popular with travelers and tourists. 

Fans of extreme tourism are unlikely to bypass the cable cars. Built in the 50s, these structures, according to sources, have been overhauled only once. Nevertheless, they function to this day - they transport tourists and residents of the city.

In Chiatura there is a unique monument of Georgian culture: the Mgvimevi Monastery. According to one version, it was cut into the rock. But experts in Georgian culture and history claim that the monastery was originally located in a natural cave. It was founded in the 13th century.

Another attraction worth mentioning are the Jarbeli Caves and the Dzuzuana Cave. In the latter, according to the sources, a linen thread was discovered, the age of which was almost 36 thousand years.

You can get to Chiatura from Kutaisi - about an hour's drive. Or from the capital of Georgia - 220 km by rail, about three hours drive. Experienced travelers recommend using motor transport.