Rioni River in Georgia: Most Abundant River and City of Kutaisi

River Rioni It flows through the territories of several historical and geographical provinces of Western Georgia - Racha, Imereti, Guria, and Samegrelo. Rioni is the deepest river in Transcaucasia (13.22 km2) and the largest in terms of basin area (13.4 km2). The area of the basin of its water discharges is 41% of the territory of Western Georgia.

In ancient times, Rioni was called "Phasis". This name is associated with the Caucasian pheasants that lived in the floodplains of the river. Europeans learned about this river from the Argonauts. The river forms islands and various forms of relief (rocky valleys, rapids, floodplains, terraces, meanders) on different sections of the current. Its valley is characterized by landscape diversity, which is associated with relief and climatic conditions. There are more than 10 types of landscapes in the Rioni River discharge basin, which were formed in humid subtropical, moderately warm humid and moderately cold climates. You can explore these landscapes during a 2-3-hour journey, and this inspection will make an indelible impression on travelers.

The second largest city of Georgia is located in the valley of the middle Rioni river - Kutaisi. Kutaisi is located on both banks of the river, at an altitude of 150-200 meters above sea level. The climate in Kutaisi is humid subtropical. The average temperature in January here is +5.23, in July - + 23.2, and the amount of precipitation (1380 mm) is almost 1.5 times higher than evaporation.

Archaeological excavations confirm that back in the VI century there was a city here, which for many centuries served as the most important political, administrative, cultural and educational center of Georgia.

There are many significant natural, historical and cultural monuments within the city of Kutaisi. Near the city are: nature conservation area Sataplia, Adjametsky Nature Reserve, Katskhinsky pillars, Tsutskhvatskaya cave, Khvamlsky massif and other natural monuments.