The atmosphere of the ancient capital of Georgia: a three-day walking route through the most important places of Tbilisi.
What is the first thing to see in Tbilisi? The most important thing to see in 3 days, we wrote in an article with a photo on madloba. Step by step, visit the church and the observation deck first, the metekhi and the cable car second, and the Turtle Lake and the Flea Market third. But whatever you choose, all places in Georgia are unique and unusual, so you need to come for a long time!
Getting to know the sights of Tbilisi⬇️
Georgia has always been famous for its hospitality. Everyone knows how warmly the Georgian people welcome guests and tourists from all over the world. The capital of Georgia — Tbilisi (until 1936 it was called Tiflis), a sunny and bright city, with its history and sights generously demonstrates its beauty to everyone who decided to visit it.
Translated from Georgian, Tbilisi means “Warm spring". The city got this name thanks to the sulfur springs around which it was formed.
It will take more than one day to see all the important places of the city. Therefore, we have compiled a convenient three-day route around the city and its surroundings, thanks to which you will be able to visit the most interesting and memorable places of the capital.
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Day One
Freedom Square and Pushkin Park
Freedom Square is located on the border of three districts of the city. The Administration, the Central Bank and the Museum of Art are located on the territory of the square. Nearby is the Pushkin Park, created not far from the house where Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin lived for two months in 1829, after whom this square is named. Here you can take a walk and relax from the hustle and bustle of the city.
An interesting fact is that the square has changed its name five times, but now it is called Freedom Square.
Tbilisi Funicular
After visiting the square and the park, we recommend taking a walk on the capital's funicular. For residents of the city it is convenient transport, and for tourists it is a great opportunity to see the historical surroundings of the city. This means of transportation allows you to get to the observation deck on Mtatsminda Mountain. In total, the funicular makes three stops along the entire route: Chonkadze Street, located near Freedom Square; cabins along the route depart from it;
- St. David's Church and the Pantheon;
- Observation deck of Mtatsminda Park.
The ticket price for one trip is GEL 2 in the afternoon and 3 after midnight.
Pantheon and St. David's Church
The pantheon is spread out on the way to the park, near the church of St. Father David. A temple was built on the site of the fracture of the rock of St. David of Gareja. Legend has it that David was an ascetic and lived in a cave, and went out to the city only on Thursdays. At the insistence of Princess Nina Chavchavadze, a necropolis appeared near the church in 1829. It was there that her husband Alexander Griboyedov, a poet and public figure of the XIX century, was buried. The Pantheon was founded 100 years after his death.
Not far from this place, at the crevice of the cave where the holy spring flows, you can make a wish: you need to wet a stone in water and attach it to the wall of the temple — if the stone does not fall, then the wish will come true.
Mtatsminda Park Observation Deck
This place became popular in the nineteenth century thanks to outdoor picnics. The name of this place translates as “Holy Mountain”, and its picturesque nature attracts more and more people every day. Now there are many cafes and restaurants in the park, and tourists, coming here, can ride the slides in the water park, visit the observation wheel or dinosaur park, and finally enjoy the view of the city from the observation deck.
Rezo Gabriadze Puppet Theater and Shavteli Street
This oldest street is a real treasure of the city, and it is named after the poet John Shavteli, who lived here in the Middle Ages. Until 1795, the royal palace and the palace square stood on this place, and around them stood the houses of the local nobility, but everything was destroyed during the attack of the King of Persia Agha-Mohammed.
Later, the Georgian Patriarchate was built here, in which the convent of the Most Holy Theotokos was located. The ancient church of St. George, which had the status of a courtier since the XVII century, stands across the street from the monastery. And in the park opposite there is a fountain, which was presented to the city authorities by the masters of Paris. Other buildings did not survive, and the street itself was rebuilt in the nineteenth century.
The Rezo Gabriadze Puppet Theater, located on Shavteli Street, attracts attention. This building was built in 1981. It is decorated with a clock tower, in which every hour a door opens with a small angel, who, in turn, beats the bell with his hammer. Just twice a day, namely at 12:00 and 19:00, you can watch a mini-performance “Cycle of Life”.
A pomegranate tree grows on the roof of the theater, and the tower is painted by Rezo Gabriadze himself. The artist decorated the pediment of the building with his motto: “Let us have tears only from the bow.” The artist also painted a small cafe located next to the theater. Previously, it was located in a small room and was called “Do not grieve!”Nowadays this cafe is still working, it has expanded and is called “Gabriadze”, and sometimes it is necessary to stand in line to visit it. Inside the cafe itself, the furniture is decorated with quotes from films, scripts for which the artist himself wrote. Among them: “Mimino", “Kin-dza-dza" and others.
День второй
Cathedral of the Holy Trinity or Tsminda Sameba
On the picturesque hill of St. Elijah, on the banks of the Kura, there is the Cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Georgia, which is visible from almost anywhere in the city. The temple was erected in 2005, although construction began in 1989. Due to the civil war and the difficult political situation, the construction was delayed, and it was consecrated only in May 2005. The height of the building is 101 meters, thanks to which the temple was recognized as the tallest in the whole country. The best Georgian artists were engaged in painting, and Patriarch Ilia II presented him with several icons painted by him.
The main relic kept in the cathedral is considered to be the cross of St. Nino, which was installed on the mountain at the baptism of Georgia. Just visiting this temple without knowing its history will not be so exciting, so it is recommended to take a guidebook with you, which describes in detail all the sights of the temple.
Metekhi
One of the symbols of the city is the temple of Metekhi or the Nativity of the Mother of God. The walls of this church, built in the XII century, survived the invasions of the Mongols and Persians. Thanks to the great efforts of public figures and all educators, the architectural monument was not demolished in 1937. The salvation of the temple cost the life of the artist — Dmitry Shevardnadze. Later, T. Abuladze made the film “Repentance” about the events of that time.
The church is one of the few surviving examples of artistic stone carving, which makes it a significant part of Georgian culture. These samples have been preserved only on the portico attached to the northern part of the temple.
Rike Park and the Peace Bridge
The modern Rike Park is located near Europe Square. It is named after the district of the same name and means “On the sands” in Georgian. Now there is a lot of sand here, which was left after the drying of the Kura River arm. This park has managed to gain popularity among the youth of Tbilisi, even though it appeared quite recently, in 2010.
Visitors to the park will find many unexpected and interesting objects, such as a grand piano, a climbing wall, a huge chess board with figures about one meter high, on which you can play a game, or drink water from a cubic-style fountain. But that's not all: here you can take a picture on the bench with Ronald Reagan.
In the evening, lights are lit and illuminate the Bridge of Peace and dancing fountains. The highlight of this bridge is its substructure, because it is not lit in a chaotic manner, but transmits the names of all chemical elements in the human body using Morse code. The meaning of all this lies in the unity of all people on Earth.
Tbilisi Cable Car
The lower stop of the Tbilisi cable car is located near the Peace Bridge and Rike Park. Residents of Tbilisi use the cable car as public transport, and therefore you can pay for travel using a metro card. In total, seven 7 cabins, similar to capsules with panoramic windows, travel by cable car and make stops only in specially designated places.
A beautiful view of the city opens at the terminal, the uppermost station, where there is an observation deck. Not far from it is the “Mother of Kartli” — one of the symbols of the city, and opposite the fortress of Narikala built in the Middle Ages.
Kartli's mother
Mother Kartli or Georgia-mother is a monument of impressive height in the form of a girl standing tall, who holds a cup of wine for friends in one hand and a sword for enemies in the other. The height of the statue is 20 meters. Initially, in 1958 it was made of wood, and in 1963 the statue was replaced with an aluminum structure. In the 1990s, it was reconstructed, after which the statue had a headscarf on its head and the dress became noticeably longer.
Narikala Fortress
The Narikala Fortress is reached by special signs installed all the way from the final stop of the cable car. The fortress is a structure created for defense against enemies in the IV century, and it is located at the end of the Sololak ridge. The name has Persian roots and translates into Russian as “Junior Fortress".
Currently, only small fragments remain of the fortress walls, near which there are ruins of a church built at the same time. After many assaults, raids and destruction, the fortress was always rebuilt again. In 1827, a strong earthquake occurred in Tbilisi, which caused the walls of the fortress to be very badly damaged. In the end, only some elements of the structure survived: fragments of walls and gates decorated with a characteristic decor for Georgia at that time.
A fragment of the foundation of the Church of St. Nicholas, built in the XII century inside the fortress walls, has survived to our time. On this very foundation, in the 1990s, according to the available descriptions and narratives, the temple was recreated.
Abanotubani Quarter
Abanotubani Quarter, Located in the very center of Tbilisi, it is famous for its sulfur baths.
Legend has it that during a pheasant hunt, King Vakhtang Gorgasali shot a bird that fell into the waters of the spring and, after drinking this water, was healed. After this incident, the tsar ordered to found a city around the magic spring, giving it the name Tiflis (Tbilisi), which means “Warm City”, and later he moved the capital of the state here from Mtskheta. The symbol of this city is still the image of a pheasant.
Water from the springs really has healing and healing properties. This is due to the fact that it is saturated with hydrogen sulfide and rises to the surface of the earth from a depth of over 2500 meters.
The most prestigious, ancient, bright and colorful is the bathhouse of King Heraclius. Experts advise visiting sulfur baths in the evening, after long walks around the city, in order to completely relax.
Canyon with waterfall in the center of Tbilisi
Not far from the sulfur baths there is a waterfall, which is literally in the center of the city. In order to find it, you need to go to the Legvtakhevi gorge, and go along the Tsavkisistskali River up to the canyon. After admiring the waterfall, you can walk from here along the spiral staircase to Botanic Street, and from there drive to Meydan Square.
Meydan Square
The most ancient square of the city is recognized as the Tatar Meydan or simply Meydan. Currently it is called Vakhtang Gorgasal Square. Initially, it stood in the way of caravans and served as a market. And during the Persian invasion, a Shiite mosque was built on Meydan, which was demolished in the XX century by the decree of Beria. Only a few facing samples remain from the mosque.
Now the square serves as a crossroads of cultures and religious traditions. There is an Armenian church, a synagogue, the oldest Orthodox church of Sioni and the minarets of the mosque are visible. The houses in the vicinity of Meydan carry the comfort and atmosphere of the old city.
День третий
Turtle Lake and the second cable car
Turtle Lake It is one of the most favorite places among the residents of Tbilisi. There are 2 versions about the origin of this name:
The first one says that thanks to the crystal clear water, it was possible to see the turtles that were found in this lake.
The second one says that the shape of the lake resembles the silhouette of a turtle, from which it got its name.
To get to the lake without a guide and guidebooks, you should use the second cable car, which is the longest in Georgia. Turtle Lake is its terminus, but the route of the road itself passes through fashionable and modern areas, as well as through a beautiful park that you can visit along the way.
The recreation area around the lake opens in May. For adults there are various cafes and restaurants, and for children there are attractions with slides and trampolines. And specially equipped sports grounds with exercise machines and treadmills will appeal to all supporters of an active lifestyle. In summer, many parties, performances and concerts take place on the shore of the lake.
Dry Bridge Flea Market
Finally, you can proceed to buying souvenirs. The flea market located near Freedom Square is best suited for this role. Currently, it is a real treasure trove of antiques and is a place of gathering of antiquity lovers.
This market was formed spontaneously, back in the 90s of the last century. It is here that gold and silver jewelry of different times, products of its own production, paintings by local artists, books, dishes and much more are sold — in other words, there is everything for every taste and every purse. However, it is unlikely to be possible to visit each shop, because it will take more than four days to go through the entire flea market.
Shardeni Street
This street is somewhat reminiscent of Paris, because it is bright and musical. And it's not just that its name sounds in the French manner. In the XVIII century, the French writer Jean Chardin came to Tbilisi with a Christian mission, and after his journey he described Georgia with pleasure and complete delight in his notes. Now this place attracts not only tourists, but also citizens. Music is constantly playing here, holidays and festivals are held, cafes and restaurants are open. In addition, there are interesting monuments on the street.
The day of the city of Tbilisi is celebrated on Shardeni Street. Preparations for this holiday have been going on for weeks, because it is celebrated on a real Georgian scale: national dances, songs, traditional dishes. The holiday itself lasts only 2 days. If you want to get to it, we advise you to take tickets five days before the start of the celebration in order to have time to visit all the interesting places. In two days, as travelers with experience say, it is quite possible to see the sights of Tbilisi, which are clearly expressed in the national cuisine and the breadth of the celebration.
Visit Tbilisi, it is very convenient to see all the interesting and beautiful places along the route made up for 3 days. However, it should be taken into account that you will have to walk a lot, because this is the only way to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the ancient capital of Georgia, which is simply full of sights.
See the sights of Georgia
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Статья предоставила мне четкий и поэтапный план посещения важнейших достопримечательностей Тбилиси. От церквей и смотровых площадок до исторических кварталов и уникальных рынков, каждая остановка на маршруте представляла собой удивительное путешествие в историю и культуру города.