As I mentioned in my overview, I enjoyed wandering Tbilisi on foot, discovering its eclectic architecture and everything from a sculpture park to a bookshop-turned-cafe hidden away in courtyards or down side-streets. But there are also plenty of specific landmarks to seek out – more, I feel, than in Yerevan, my benchmark for the region. Over the course of my stay I traced out the route below – at a more aggressive pace this could be an intense day tour, but I had the time to take it slow, and indeed to revisit a few sites in different light.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Situated in a river valley, Tbilisi is overlooked by a number of landmarks such as the TV tower and Narikala Fortress. But the one that caught my eye was the Holy Trinity Cathedral, dominating the view from my hotel balcony thanks to its illumination at night. Thus I made it the first sightseeing stop on my initial exploration of the city the next day.
Having taken the metro to Avlabari, I trusted google’s directions which led me – via Hamlet Gonashvili street – to a side entrance on the south of the complex. It would be better to follow a slightly longer route along Lado Meskhishvili street to arrive via the main gatehouse, as the western aspect is the most spectacular, but whatever your approach, it’s likely to impress.
Alongside neighbouring Armenia, Georgia is one of the first Christian nations – adopting the faith in the early 4th century – and historic churches and monasteries in both countries are notable tourist attractions, with several inscribed on the World Heritage list. The Holy Trinity Cathedral, however, is far from ancient – work only began with Georgian independence after the fall of the Soviet Union, and was completed barely 20 years ago.
What it lacks in history it makes up for in scale, drawing on a variety of traditional Georgian architectural styles but stretching them to create a soaring verticality. The interior is surprisingly simple – although I’m not particularly familiar with Eastern Orthodox churches – but worth exploring. Roughly a quarter of the space is underground, a series of chapels accessible by a staircase which I was the only visitor to venture down!
Rike Park
Head downhill instead of up from Avlabari and you’ll reach the riverside Rike Park. This is home to some striking modern constructions: the music theatre, and the pedestrian “bridge of peace”. It’s strange to think these are only a few years younger than the Cathedral, such is their difference in style – and their location close to the historic old city was controversial. However, I found Tbilisi to be a city full of such architectural contrasts, the new blending with the old rather than clashing with it.
The park is also the site for an unusual tourist attraction: a viewing platform which is hoisted 150m aloft by a balloon (helium, rather than hot air). Tethered to the ground at a single point, it swayed around rather more than I was comfortable with, so – having terrified myself on a Ferris wheel at Oslo’s Christmas Market – I never quite worked up the courage to ride. (It’s also surprisingly expensive by Tbilisi standards).
Aerial Tramway
From Rike Park you can take the aerial tramway to Narikala, not to be confused with the cable car which operates between Rustaveli and Mtatsminda park (or indeed the Mtatsminda funicular). If you’ve already picked up a white MetroMoney card then these can be used to pay the fare of just 2.5GEL (I think it’s a bit more expensive by credit card).
The short ride avoids a lengthy uphill hike, and offers a panorama of the city as you travel across the river and above the oldest parts of Tbilisi. You arrive at a bit of a tourist trap, where you can buy overpriced souvenirs or snacks, or have your photo taken with an eagle, parrot or even a monkey. All this seemed best avoided, although a zipline did look fun.
Narikala fortress, the usual reason for travelling up here, was closed during my visit, but I was able to check out Kartlis Deda – the Mother of Georgia statue – and enjoy more views from the hilltop before making my way into the botanical gardens.
Botanical Gardens
I always enjoy a city where you can easily trade the urban bustle for nature – Edinburgh and Zurich are particular favourites in that regard – and the botanical gardens play this role for Tbilisi. From the Narikala gate a swift descent into the gorge hides the city, and with traffic noise replaced by birdsong and running water, you could imagine yourself in the countryside, not the capital.
I spent a couple of hours roaming the gardens, not entirely deliberately – there was no map at the entrance I used, and on finally discovering one at the exit I realised I’d missed a few things. My visit was also complicated by the works on the fortress, as a side effect of which much of the boardwalk along the water (and the Legvachtahvi waterfall it leads to) was inaccessible. The Japanese Garden was also technically closed, although you could see all of it from the doorway, just not step in!
Still, I enjoyed the main waterfall, the perfect mountain steam which fed it, a bamboo grove, an alley of tall cypress trees, and various gardens – for a mere 4GEL (roughly a pound). Emerging onto Botanikuri street – a pleasingly multi-level introduction to this historic district – also perfectly placed me for my next stop.
Sulphur Baths
Tbilisi is Georgian for “warm place”, and the city owes not just its name but its existence to the hot springs in the area. The Chreli Abano bathhouse, with its intricate and brightly coloured mosaic exterior, is the postcard image of Tbilisi, but a more authentic experience can be found in the traditional domed-roof baths of several nearby rivals.
I didn’t take the plunge, but I did have my favourite meal – my first encounter with acharuli khachapuri -at a bistro here. A little pricey by Georgian standards, but a bargain compared to dining in most European capitals – especially when you consider I was sat just yards from a major tourist attraction.