🌉 The Red Bridge in Kutaisi: the "Eiffel Bridge" over the Rioni

📜 History of the bridge: from the engineer Postelnikov to 1862

The story of the Red Bridge is usually traced back to 1859, when the project was drawn up by the military engineer Postelnikov. Construction began in 1860, and this was a case where local materials were not enough: the iron structures were ordered in France and brought to Kutaisi already finished. Assembly was completed in 1862, and the bridge was opened and consecrated that same year.

By today's standards the size is modest: about 36 metres long and 8.5 metres wide. But size was not the point. For mid 19th century Kutaisi this became the first iron bridge, and by local tradition it is also called the first iron bridge in all of Transcaucasia. Earlier, people crossed the Rioni on wooden and stone crossings that the river kept washing away, so an iron structure was a real technological step forward for the city.

There is a French trace in this story too, which is why the bridge is remembered beyond Kutaisi: the metal, after all, was ordered in Paris. This is where the famous Eiffel legend grew from. Whether it is true, we look into below. 👇

🗼 The "Eiffel bridge": truth or a beautiful legend?

If you ask locals what the Red Bridge is famous for, many will tell you first of all that it was brought from Paris, from the very workshop where the famous tower was put together. It sounds good, and it is this phrase that most often brings tourists here. But once you lay the story out by dates, things turn out to be less clear cut.

What is known for certain: the metal for the bridge really was ordered and made in France, then brought to Kutaisi. The French trace is real. But the specific Paris factory linked to the famous engineer already belongs to the realm of city legend. The bridge opened in 1862. The famous Frenchman's own company only appeared in the mid 1860s, and the Paris tower rose as late as the end of the 1880s. In other words, "that particular production" simply did not yet exist in the needed form at the time of construction, and the engineer himself was then at the start of his career rather than the owner of a legendary works.

Does this mean the legend is empty? Not quite. The French origin of the metal, the fashion for calling everything Parisian after one famous name, and the reputation of that era as the age of great bridge builders came together into one convenient story that the city has been retelling for over a century. So it is more accurate to put it this way: the bridge does have French roots, while a direct link to the famous workshop remains a beautiful but unproven legend.

🌉 Why this legend gets confused with the White Bridge

It is easy to get muddled here, and even people from Kutaisi do. A similar story about Paris and a French workshop is often told in the city about the White Bridge as well, which stands just five minutes away. It has its own biography: it was rebuilt later, around the 1870s, and locals sometimes call it the "French" or "Parisian" bridge. Because of this, the two stories merged into one, and the legend wanders from bridge to bridge.

In short: both the Red and the White Bridge are connected to French metal and have grown similar stories around them, but these are two different bridges with different dates and fates. The Red one was built earlier and became the first iron bridge in the city. The White one was made into a footbridge and is famous for the sculpture of a boy on its railing. So if you hear "there it is, that bridge from Paris" on the embankment, do check which bridge is actually meant.

❤️ Why the bridge is called "Red"

The name is the simplest one possible: by colour. The iron structure was painted red, and that colour stuck to the bridge as its name. The same city logic works here as with its neighbour: the White Bridge was called white because it was painted white, and this one became the Red Bridge because of its colour. There is no tangled story behind the name, and that is its charm: the bright truss above the grey green Rioni is visible from afar and instantly explains why the bridge is called this way.

In Georgian it is called წითელი ხიდი, which reads as "tsiteli khidi": წითელი means "red" and ხიდი means "bridge".

It is worth keeping in mind that there is more than one "Red Bridge" in Georgia. The name also belongs to an old border bridge over the Khrami River on the way to Azerbaijan, and that is a completely different site at the other end of the country. So if you are looking specifically for the Kutaisi bridge, keep the key markers close at hand: the Rioni River, the centre of Kutaisi, the iron truss.

🚶 How to get to the Red Bridge

The Red Bridge stands right in the centre of Kutaisi, so the easiest way to reach it is on foot. From the White Bridge and the central part of the city it is about a five minute walk at an easy pace along the river. A landmark for those coming from Rustaveli Avenue: on the way to the bridge, by the road, stands the monument to the poet Galaktion Tabidze with a muse descending towards him, you cannot miss it.

The bridge itself connects Tabidze Street and Paliashvili Street, so whichever bank you come from, you reach it along one of them. It is a working road bridge, but nobody stops you from walking across it and pausing in the middle to look out over the Rioni. If you navigate by the neighbouring bridges: upstream stands the Chain Bridge, and downstream from the Red Bridge along the river is the Rustaveli Bridge.

There is no need to look for an entrance, tickets or opening hours: the bridge is always open and free. The easiest thing is to combine it with a walk through the centre and drop by the White Bridge, five minutes away, at the same time.

👀 What to see nearby

It is best not to visit the Red Bridge on its own but to fit it into a walk through the centre: almost all the main spots of old Kutaisi are within walking distance along the Rioni. From the bridge itself there is already a view of the wooden houses clinging to the river bank, so you can start taking it in right from the middle of the span.

First of all, drop by the White Bridge five minutes away: it is pedestrian and famous for the bronze figure of a boy on its railing, a character from an old Georgian film. On the way from Rustaveli Avenue you will pass the monument to the poet Galaktion Tabidze with a muse descending towards him. If you want a panorama, there is an observation point nearby from which the bridge and the river can be seen in full. From there you can head to the city's other symbols: the Chain Bridge upstream, the Rustaveli Bridge downstream, the Colchis Fountain with its golden figures in the centre, and of course Bagrati Cathedral on the hill.

💬 What the locals say

For the people of Kutaisi the Red Bridge is not so much a sight as part of the familiar city scenery, one tied to several warm little signs. The main one belongs to spring: a magnolia blooms near the bridge, and when it opens up, people in the city say that spring has truly arrived. For many residents this is the unspoken marker of the changing season, and they come here specially with a phone for the shot.

People also love this place for its seagulls: they circle over the Rioni and settle on the water, especially towards evening, giving the busy centre an unexpectedly seaside mood. In the evenings the bridge becomes a spot for unhurried walks: locals come out to stroll along the river, to stand in the middle, to watch the water and the old houses on the bank light up. If you want to see the bridge the way the people of Kutaisi themselves know it, come not in the midday heat but at sunset.

📸 Editor's tip: the best angles for photos

The most rewarding shot comes not from the bridge itself but slightly to the side, from the embankment or a nearby viewpoint: that way the whole red truss fits into the frame, with the Rioni and the bank with its wooden houses behind it. Shooting from the bridge itself, catch the perspective of the span along the railing, which adds depth and emphasises the metal structure.

As for the time of day, soft light works best: early morning, when the embankment is empty, or sunset, when the red of the truss grows warmer and reflections appear on the water. At midday the light is harsh and flat, and the bridge comes out washed out in photos. If you happen to catch the magnolia blooming season, be sure to bring it into the frame in the foreground: a shot like that instantly shows that you were here in spring.

🧾 Checklist before your visit

🧡 The main points in brief

The Red Bridge does not impress with its size and gets lost easily among the other bridges of Kutaisi, yet it was this one that became the first iron bridge in the city and gained the most enduring local legend. Its French roots are real, while the loud tale about the famous Paris workshop remains a beautiful legend, and that is its whole character: a modest looking bridge with a century and a half of city talk behind it.

If you are in Kutaisi, set aside a few minutes for it on your way along the Rioni, drop by at sunset and be sure to walk on, towards the White Bridge and the centre. That way the Red Bridge turns not into a separate box to tick but into part of a living walk through the old town.

🗣️ Now over to you

Have you been to the Red Bridge? Tell us how you found it, and help other travellers see it at its best.

• What time did you come and which angle did you like the most?
• Did you catch the magnolia blooming near the bridge?
• Have you heard your own version of the legend about the bridge's French origins?
• What else in the centre of Kutaisi is worth seeing on the way to the bridge?

Share in the comments, we read every story and add your findings to the article. ❤️

Read also

• How to visit the women’s monastery in Simoneti from Kutaisi: road, history and photos
• White Bridge Kutaisi: the pedestrian landmark above the Rioni
• Rioni View Boulevard in Kutaisi: a new riverside promenade
• The Church of 100,000 Martyrs in Kutaisi: a memorial to the tragedy of 1226