Vani Sulfur Pools — hydrogen sulfide pools in Imereti 🌿

Vani Sulfur Pools are warm hydrogen-sulfide basins on the banks of the Sulori River, a tributary of the Rioni, in the quiet village of Dikhashkho. The water is naturally blue and holds at about +40 °C: as if the river were gently warmed and covered with a light sulfur mist. At roughly 180 m above sea level, the air is resinous and mineral, and the sound of the current outperforms any relaxation playlist.

The spring has been active for more than a century and is known for its therapeutic effect: it loosens tight muscles after the road, soothes joints and skin. People often compare it to Tbilisi’s sulfur baths—only here the impact feels softer and deeper, the way nature does things when everything is calm and unhurried. It remains one of Imereti’s signature natural spots: you slip in, sit on the warm stone, and notice how your thoughts grow quieter.

Best time is morning or early evening: fewer people, the water feels even warmer, and the dusk steam dissolves slowly—like an old, good ritual. Visitors don’t come to tick a box; they come to switch the world off for an hour and let the body breathe. That’s the simple wisdom of these pools.

Quick facts

— Blue thermal water ≈ +40 °C
— The spring has been in use for 100+ years
— Comparable to Tbilisi sulfur baths, but felt softer and deeper
— A landmark natural site of Imereti
— Location: Dikhashkho, on the Sulori River (tributary of the Rioni), ~180 m a.s.l.