What you need to know before traveling to Georgia. Report on a trip to Tbilisi for the May holidays. What should be included in the declaration

General information and geography

1. Georgia is located on the Black Sea in Transcaucasia and belongs to the so-called Western Asia.
2. Georgia borders on Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia and Turkey.
3. The main religion of the country is Orthodoxy.
4. The ancient capital of Georgia is the city of Mtskheta.
5. The climate of the country is Mediterranean: dry subtropics have formed in most of Georgia, and humid ones on the coast.
6. The average temperatures in July and January in Tbilisi are +25°С and +2°С, in Batumi - +23°С and +7°С, respectively.
7. The best time to visit the country is May, June and September.
8. Popular resorts of Georgia, in addition to Batumi - Kabuleti, Kvariati, Ureki, Gonio and Cape Green(Mtsvane-Kontskhi). Georgian beaches are pebbly, with the exception of sandy beaches By the river.
9. Georgia has a number of ski resorts. The most famous are Gudauri and Bakuriani.

Documentation

1. Russian citizens (as well as Belarusians and Ukrainians) do not need a visa to visit Georgia for up to 1 year. It is enough just to have a passport.
2. Children to enter the country must have their own passport or can be entered in the passport of their parents.
3. Foreign passports should not contain stamps on visiting Abkhazia (citizens of the Russian Federation should go there on a civil passport, which is not stamped). Previously, criminal prosecution promised for this - a fine of more than a thousand dollars or a prison term for several years, now it threatens a fine of about $ 160.

Language

1. As in many former Soviet republics, the older generation speak Russian well, while the younger generation speak English better. Official language- Georgian. There are very few inscriptions in Russian, mostly in Georgian and English.

People

1. The legendary Georgian hospitality really exists.
2. The bad attitude towards Russians is a myth. Georgians in general are friendly and hospitable to everyone. For obvious reasons, you should not start talking about politics and military conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as joking about nationalities.
3. In Georgia, there is a very reverent attitude towards the family, and there is a special cult of children.

Currency

1. The monetary unit of Georgia is the Georgian lari (GEL), equal to 100 tetri.
2. On this moment 1 Georgian lari is equal to 23.8 rubles, 0.4 US dollars and 0.38 euros.
3. You can exchange currency at exchange offices or banks. In exchangers, before the operation, it is necessary to clarify what commission is charged.
4. The most profitable is the purchase of lari for dollars, but you can also change both euros and rubles - the exchange rate is adequate.

Laws and Orders

1. Georgia is considered a country that has defeated corruption.
2. An attempt to bribe a Georgian policeman is punished very seriously - it is better not to try.
3. In Georgia, there is a radical struggle by the local criminal world. A person who calls himself a “thief in law” (even jokingly) faces up to 10 years.
4. In Georgia, imprisonment for the purchase and possession of marijuana for personal use in small quantities (100 grams in raw form) has been abolished.

Transport

1. The fastest convenient way to get to Georgia from Russia - air flight. Direct flights from Moscow are carried out by Aeroflot, S7 and Georgian Airways. From other cities, you will have to fly with a transfer.
2. By train, you can come to Georgia only from Baku and Yerevan. There are no trains from Russia to Georgia.
3. By car from Russia to Georgia you can get through Vladikavkaz and the Upper Lars pass.
4. It is impossible to travel from Russia to Georgia through Abkhazia, just like vice versa.
5. During the warm season (from April to November), the speedboat "Kometa" runs from Sochi to Batumi twice a week.
6. You can travel around the country by minibuses (they run often and inexpensively), buses or trains.
7. You can buy a ticket for Georgian trains online at site Georgian railways or with a resource biletebi.ge.
8. Comfortable high-speed seated trains run from Tbilisi to Batumi and Zugdidi.
9. It is believed that in Georgia there is a very good hitchhiking: they will take you, feed you, and, if necessary, give you shelter.
10. Car traffic in the country is chaotic and aggressive (especially in Tbilisi). Pedestrians are not allowed to pass, even with children.
11. Traveling without a ticket in city buses can be difficult, as controllers are often on duty on the routes.

Housing

1. Tbilisi and Batumi have a fairly large selection of hostels and guesthouses. You can also rent an apartment on a budget (especially out of season), both in advance online and on the spot.
2. Couchsurfing in Georgia is not very common, and many Georgian hosts (often expats from other countries) prefer female guests.
3. Central heating in Georgia is rather rare. With submission hot water, respectively, is also not entirely clear.
4. Power outages are also common.
5. In multi-storey buildings, there are often paid elevators or with an individual key.

customs

1. In Georgia, the possession of weapons is allowed.
2. When visiting, it is customary to wear street shoes. Do not ask for slippers - the owners may be offended.
3. Never refuse treats, and even just tea - they will definitely be offended.
4. For men in Georgia, as in other regions of the Caucasus, it is customary to kiss when meeting.
5. The custom of kidnapping the bride is sometimes still practiced, but only with the consent of both newlyweds.
6. Shorts, bare shoulders, and uncovered heads may not be allowed into temples.
7. Tamada at the Georgian feast is an absolute authority. No matter how long the toast is, never interrupt the toastmaster!

Gastronomy

1. Georgian cuisine is characterized by the contrast of spicy and spicy.
2. Georgians eat khinkali and barbecue with their hands.
3. In addition to many variations of khachapuri, there are a number of delicious flour dishes in the country. The most famous of them are lobiani (flat pies with beans) and kubdari (meat pies). Less popular, but also very tasty are gwezels (cheese and egg pies).
4. The composition of many dishes includes legumes, eggplant, beets, cabbage, walnuts. Be sure to use greens.
5. Georgia is the birthplace of Tarkhuna and Borjomi. The country has a number of other lemonades and mineral waters.
6. Georgian alcoholic drinks are wine, chacha and cognac. There are several mediocre beers. The most famous of them is Natakhtari.

Souvenirs

1. In addition to gastronomic gifts, the choice of which is huge (alcohol, sauces, spices, cheeses, churchkhela, etc.), minankari (cloisonne enamel jewelry) and products with plots by the artist Niko Pirosmani will become wonderful souvenirs from Georgia.

Reviews about holidays in Tbilisi help travelers see the delights of this wonderful city, so I decided to write my own detailed review tourist about the capital of Georgia. Let us now stop for a few days to rest in Tbilisi, but soon our trip will resume, and if you are interested in the previous reports of our trip to Georgia, then please read them and.

Old Tbilisi

We walked through the old district of the city with a two-story building and just went nuts from appearance houses.

For us, it was so unusual and so new that if the phone had a film, then my wife would use all of it to photograph balconies. They are so different and sometimes come across in very unexpected places that the eye does not get tired of looking at them. You won’t see anything like this here anymore - all such buildings in the center were restored with a clumsy remake, which even from a distance does not look like it “is of historical value”, as the inscription on the nameplate says. People were settled on the outskirts, and offices were launched there. And here you go and you feel such an atmosphere, and after all, the city center is already around the corner.

I understand that such reasoning is not common to everyone, I know that some people will turn their noses and say "what a misery", but we liked to wander along these streets, which are stuck in their time, look into small courtyards-wells and watch how housewives hang out to dry whole garlands of linen. Looking ahead, I will say that it is old district, but not "old Tbilisi" - the houses there have already undergone a high-quality marafet, they look beautiful and dignified, but at the same time, they have lost something ... In my opinion, the existence of these two districts is justified, you can understand how it was and how it became , feel the spirit of the time hovering in each of them and decide what is closer to the soul or enjoy each of them separately, which we did.

There will be many photos of various balconies in the post, which may seem wild and awkward to an unprepared reader, but in fact it is not. Of course, ugly examples come across, but most of them make you stop and look at them better, because they are all different in shape, size, carving, stained glass windows and growing plants.

Earlier in Georgia, you could build a balcony wherever you want and however you want, no approvals for you, just pick up a hammer and start hammering nails. It was possible to add another floor, to enlarge the veranda - all that was enough for the imagination of the owners. Well, what about people living in a 9-storey panel, where balconies are not provided? Stupid question ... you need to provide them yourself, and on the site of the technical floor, make yourself an attic with a change in the roof topography.

Once a new government came to Georgia, which decided to actively develop the tourism industry and paid close attention to this folk art. And now, if someone suddenly wants to increase their living space due to another architectural refinement, they will need to order a project and go through a bunch of approvals. Samostroy stopped, and it seems to be correct, but at one time, this freebie was not taken advantage of unless it was lazy, so there are very, very many examples of folk fantasy embodied in wood and stone.

It starts to get dark and we go out on main square Tbilisi - Freedom Square. There is also the metro station of the same name and the main information center for tourists, where you can dial free cards, brochures and ask kind girls about excursions, etc. things. Usually there are travel agents nearby who offer a variety of excursions. Naturally, everyone speaks Russian.

Guess who once flaunted in the place of St. George, killing a dragon with his spear?

The modern part of the city

Due to the fact that it gets dark early in Tbilisi, and the clock is already 9 pm, we decide to go back and ride the cable car to the Narikala fortress.

The cable car is located between the Peace Bridge and Europe Square. The fare is around $1.5 per person. A cabin with a glass floor for 4 people takes you over the Kura River, over the roofs of houses, straight to the fortress, where it stops at a viewing platform with an incredible view.

Unfortunately, we did not bother to come back here in the afternoon and see the same thing in the sun, and also wander around the ruins at the top, but this can be done next time.

Having descended, we went for a walk in Rike Park, which was quite crowded and worked musical fountain, it is even visible in the photo above.

There are many mothers with children in the park, various sweets and toys are sold from stalls, there are many benches and lights, and there is not even a hint of buhastikov in the bushes.

If you go from the park towards the river, then you get to the Peace Bridge. It was built under Saakashvili, and local residents were extremely dissatisfied with this futuristic object, however, like the neighboring Palace of Justice, in the form of a bunch of burdocks, and a new concert hall, looking like 2 swollen shiny pipes. And again we liked everything. Georgia is a country of contrasts and this place is no exception.

The Peace Bridge is pedestrian and there are always a lot of people there. Contrary to the indignation of the Georgians, it has become a kind of symbol of the city and a center of attraction for tourists, especially in the evenings when the lights are turned on. Therefore, if you want to take a picture there, you will have to work hard to make a good photo without strangers.

We went home along the embankment on the other side of the river, near the house of Justice. It turned out that this route is not entirely pedestrian and we practically did not meet people, but no incidents arose, especially in the dark patrolling police crews with lights on are clearly visible, which actually travel very often and, sometimes, in very unexpected places.

I will write a separate post about the police, but for now I’ll just say that it works out its bread by 100% and the probability of finding trouble on its fifth point is extremely small. But to be stubborn, not very sober and especially greyhound, then there is nothing impossible, but I myself have not come across this, I have not personally seen it and have not heard anything like it from other vacationers.

On the other hand, I encountered merciless Georgian pedestrian crossings, i.e., for the most part, their absence. Remember how you ran a hundred meters at school, no? Well then, remember. If a cow slowly wanders along the road, then they will let it pass or go around, but it’s harder for a person - he needs to learn how to quickly transfer his mortal body across the road, bypassing cars that do not consider your person so significant to force the brake pedal for this. Of course, I'm exaggerating a little, but the fact that you have to run here as a pedestrian is an indisputable fact. If you need to cross the road, then guess the right moment and go for it. Everyone doesn't care how many lanes you need to cross, don't care about the police, and they don't care about the sprinters - no one is looking for a zebra, which is not often found. With very heavy traffic, we just waited for the experienced Georgians to start crossing and lined up close behind them, but then we pumped the running skill in ourselves and were no longer afraid of anything.

In the guesthouse, Russians were already sitting on the balcony and drinking wine, we accepted their offer to join and engaged the hostess in the conversation. Such sincere gatherings do not shine for those who stay in apartments or hotels, and it is there that you learn a lot of useful information and make new acquaintances. We left already after midnight tired, but satisfied and with a clear plan for tomorrow's walk.

Hiking

Morning fifth day It turned out to be especially hot, so they put a Panama hat on the wife's head and set off to stomp the pavements of Tbilisi. Again admired the local architectural works of art.

Our winding path ran through a narrow government quarter and went all the way uphill. On the way there were many military men in NATO uniforms and glasses in the American style, but of Georgian nationality. The parked cars corresponded to the number and size of the stars on the shoulder straps of some of them.

Tired of walking up all the time in a hot climate, we stopped near a building that looked like old mansion about three floors and began to actively examine and discuss it with their heads up. Unexpectedly, grandfather crept up to us with a shopping bag and asked if we would like to inspect the house from the inside. It turned out that he lives there and is happy to show the interior decoration. Just imagine that in your city you stopped near ancient building, examine it with unknown curiosity, point your fingers at the windows, and a local resident will offer you to go inside - of course, nonsense, this cannot be in our latitudes, rather, they will strongly recommend you quickly move to some mother. Inside it turned out to be as majestic as it was outside, a mosaic floor, doors three meters high, next to which I began to feel my kinship with hobbits, just like my wife standing next to me, and a glass dome on the roof in the form of multi-colored frescoes. Our guide spent a little educational program in history and said that once it was the mansion of a wealthy Armenian merchant, but the Bolsheviks confiscated it and converted it into an apartment building. After that, he warmly apologized several times that he could not invite him to his place, because. there is a renovation going on and his wife will scold him for bringing guests to a dirty apartment. By the way, there were indeed bags of construction debris near the front door.

Funicular in Tbilisi and Mtatsminda park

Having reached the ticket office of the funicular, we paid the necessary amount in lari for the journey to Mtatsminda Park with an intermediate stop at the Pantheon - it costs a little more, and the place is famous there - they say that holy water from the local font helps to acquire offspring suffering, but, for some reason, for a reason that cannot. Money is instantly credited to a plastic card, like in the subway, which will need to be applied to the sensor to open the passage to the trailer, if you don’t have such a card yet, then you can rent it at the box office, leaving a small refundable deposit. The same payment system operates in the park at the top of the mountain, only the plastic is different there. Both cards were provided to us by our hostess from where we stayed in Tbilisi.

The tram is modern, with air conditioning, it is not structurally parallel to the ground, but at an angle. They go often, you don't have to wait long.

Climbing to the top, you immediately find yourself in a large restaurant with an observation deck. You can dine there and enjoy the view of the city from high altitude. Immediately behind it is a wide alley, on both sides of which there are several catering establishments. When cooked, they exude a sweet aroma of food that makes the stomach control the legs against the orders of the brain, even if it would seem that you don’t want to eat at all.

The price tag is humane, we paid ~ $ 3.5 for a snack with soft drinks.

On a full stomach, it’s not a sin to test yourself for strength on some extreme attraction. The first we came across was the "House of Horrors", its size gave me hope for unbridled fear and awe, but my wife flatly refused to go there. I had to persuade her for a long time, and then the administrator helped to drag her into the booth. Just kidding, of course, but he really helped by repeating 20 times "There savsem is not scary." He turned out to be right, having passed 3 floors, his wife did not even squeak, which means that only children under 5 years old can be interested there.

There is also a water attraction where you drive down a small slide in a plastic car to the pool - young teenagers really like it, apparently because no one comes out dry from there, and it's hot outside, girls in T-shirts, often in white, that's all. .. We missed it, because. I did not want to stagger with a wet back and front.

The roller coaster is not at all like in the USA, but the dead loop, good mood, adrenaline doping, squeaking, squealing and screaming of neighbors a hundredfold pay off the entrance ticket. Too bad the buzz doesn't last long. However, I was incredibly lucky, and the curator of the attraction at the very beginning called me to choose a place for myself - I sat down very first.

We stomp to the Ferris Wheel and slowly soar up. You rise quite high, although the closed cabin does not allow you to enjoy the wind in your hair and the illusion of flight, so we sit and stare through the plastic glass at the opening panorama. Near the wheel is located observation platform, on which you can capture a photo of yourself beloved with Tbilisi spread out at the feet.

And now the most interesting, the attraction called "Octopus"!!! Extremely hardy thing that will not leave indifferent any fan of extreme sports. I don’t understand how I managed to drag my girl there in a panama hat, probably again with the help of the manager, who swore that it was not scary there ... but he vilely lied.

At first glance, the unsightly design, painfully reminiscent of the boring "Centrifuge", made my missus white as a sheet, and I was seriously afraid that her essence would simply leave the body out of fear. In short, he almost became a widower.

A pair of seats spins around its axis, while they all together or alternately take off up, and then tend back, flatten you on the ground. A special piquancy to this action is brought by the fact that on the other side of the unit there is a sharp cliff and distant roofs of houses. When the tentacles begin to walk up and down in turn, they do it with such a characteristic metallic knock, as if huge pistons are colliding and you understand that 2 more such blows and it will be your turn to ascend ... Sausage there specifically, I didn’t press my legs , so they lived their own lives and almost took down the lantern. I’m telling you, it’s a funny thing, the current wife held on so tightly with one hand to the armrest, the other to the clamping mechanism on her chest, and she almost bent her legs around the seat right up to her ears, which later was reflected in the form of bruises on all her limbs. At the same time, she could not utter anything due to the complete failure of the speech apparatus, and all this fun lasted about five minutes, but her eyes ... how big her eyes were ... I liked it, but she, it seems, no - we they waited on the nearest bench until her frightened soul crawled out of its heels and took its rightful place.

So I lost my partner forever, even for a harmless extreme, since the rides ended there, and I led her on shaky legs towards the funicular.

Sulfur bath area

Sulfur baths are adjacent to Old Tbilisi and any tourist should go there. Here everything is already licked and restored, everywhere beautiful buildings with balconies, and the baths themselves suddenly appear not in the form of a rickety building with peasants selling brooms around the corner, but in the form of a system of brick domes.

This is one of the main attractions of the city, so crowds of vacationers always roam here. You can take pictures next to them, or you can even climb on some kind of dome - I have not seen anyone being chased for this.

If you walk along the baths so that they remain on the left hand, then on the right, over the cliff, cute houses will rise, and at the end of the road you will find a real waterfall!

On the way back, we met a restaurant, which adjoins the "cheerful" tower. It belongs to Rezo Gabriadze - the author of such films as "Mimino", "Don't Cry", "Kin-dza-dza" and the bohemian public likes to appear there, and he himself.

Wandering through the winding streets under the scorching sun, I decided to restore the disturbed water balance and drink beer, but I didn’t want to go into standard cafes. And then I came across the entrance to the basement, there are even signs that it was a cafe and signs with opening hours. To be honest, I don’t know how I even noticed this place and why I didn’t immediately run away from there, apparently my craving for everything unusual and non-standard won. It turned out that this is the rarest type of institution called the "Racha" dukhan, literally the last of its kind in Tbilisi and existing since pre-Soviet times.

There used to be a wine cellar, so the vaulted ceilings of red-painted bricks flow smoothly into the walls. In some places, the paint has peeled off and exposed a layer of plaster. At the far end is a refrigerator with a very Soviet past for sandwiches, and behind it sits a cashier with such a stern look that I immediately became afraid of her. In the process, it turned out that she has the same ability as the Mona Lisa - no matter what corner you hide in, she still looks at you and, at the same time, at all other visitors. In front of her lay the abacus and a notebook in which she wrote down income / expenses.

Hiding my wife behind my back, just in case, I dared to approach her and order a beer. Sitting on wooden stools, we began to carefully examine the local public, it turned out that both Georgians and stray tourists from European countries. There was such a pronounced aroma of kharcho in the air that it seemed, having typed it full chest, you can eat to your heart's content. My missus, tired of drooling from the local smells, again sent me to the "evil aunt" for a plate of kharcho and eggplant with walnuts. The order was brought almost faster than I stomped to my table. Moreover, everything was prepared not from semi-finished products in the microwave, but in real huge pots and pans. We saw all this with our own eyes, through a special hole in the wall, which served to serve ready meals. The kitchen didn't have any glittering panels or fancy expensive equipment - everything is extremely simple and frozen somewhere in the 90s. The head chef prepared several dishes at once and literally burned at work due to the obvious lack of a good extract and the abundance of all kinds of spices and seasonings. I am 100% sure that such a kitchen would have been rejected by specially trained departments due to non-compliance with various standards, but it works for them. Let everything in the kitchen be very simple, and she conveys fiery greetings from the past, but it is clean there, prepared from products, and dishes are brought faster than at McDonald's.

Soup-kharcho was poured into a huge plate and a hefty piece of meat was put there, just like a mother took care of her beloved son. My little wife right hand I ate it excitedly, biting it with eggplant, and wiped my tears with my left hand, it was so tasty and spicy. In the end, she could not stand it and asked me to bring her bread and a glass of something cold to put out the fire. Everything we ordered cost about 9 lari, and besides them, I had one hundred and one piece of paper and some small penny. They could not scrape together change from a hundred, and there was not enough kopeck for bread. After 2 minutes, the cashier came up to us and put a basket of pita bread on the table for free. She was strict on the outside, but kind on the inside.

The local kharcho, according to the wife, turned out to be the most rich and delicious in all of Georgia, the prices are below the baseboard, the flavor is level 80 and we do not forget about the strict cashier with a good soul. Very atmospheric place, in which they feed deliciously, cook quickly and ask little. If you are tired of the glamor of pretentious faceless restaurants, then this cafe will be like a tub for you. cold water after the steam room - you will never forget it, in a good sense of the word. The location of Racha dukhan is at the intersection of Lermontov (house 6) and Shalva Dadiani (house 18) streets.

Thus ended the next day of our vacation in Tbilisi, and in the evening we traditionally gathered in a large company for a glass of wine on the balcony of the guest house.

Trip to Sighnaghi

We gradually gained momentum and were not going to stop, so sixth day turned out to be just as intense as the previous one. From a larger point of view, we examined the sights of Tbilisi, of course, we picked up the tops and there were still many white spots, but we clearly decided to come back here, so everything has its time, but for now we jump into the car and rush to the Kakheti region.

The distance from Tbilisi to Sighnaghi is 110 km along a good two-lane road, however, due to landscape features, the travel time is ~2.5 hours. While still at home, looking at it, I noticed a monastery in Ninotsminda, which we had to pass by, so it became an obligatory item on our vacation program. A more detailed description of it is available at the link above, I can only say that it's worth it. I accidentally missed the exit to the monastery and stopped at the nearest gas station to ask the locals how to get there. One man first began to explain to me, and then got into the car and ordered me to follow him. We rode a couple of kilometers in tandem until he brought us to the very gate, and then he wished all the best and sped off to opposite side. These are the people who live there.

We got to Sighnaghi about two o'clock, so it's better to get out on such a trip early. The city is relatively small, but very beautiful, and if I were suddenly dropped off there, I would say that this is Italy.

Due to the late arrival, limited time due to the early sunset, we explored the city at a gallop. Although there is something to see: ancient churches and ancient castle with a long fortress wall, hospitable Georgians, always ready to chat with you or have another glass of chacha.

They want to make a small Las Vegas out of Signagi, so they promote casinos and wedding ceremonies there, and position it as the "City of Love". I have already met reviews more than once in which people from different CIS countries described how they held a wedding ceremony in this picturesque place, but the casino did not come across. Upon arrival, we caught a Georgian wedding and even had the idea to worm our way among the guests, but we were afraid that shorts and colorful shirts would betray us as hares among the many guests in festive attire.

We examined a small fortress, which offers a stunning view of the Alazani Valley. It is said that when it is covered with clouds, guides tell gullible tourists that this is the sea.

While we were trying to find the fortress and stopped at the crossroads in thought, grandfather approached us and immediately told everything, and when he found out where we were from, he generally blossomed and told us the story of his youth - how he studied during the USSR in our physical education academy.

There was a church at some distance, but the gates of the gate were closed.

While my wife went to look for a detour, I perched alone on the sidewalk and waited. Opposite was some kind of guesthouse, on the terrace of which a Georgian was smoking. Apparently, he felt sorry for the lonely sitting young man, and he called out to me and started a conversation about life, which eventually led to the question of whether I tried chacha. I replied that I hadn’t had a chance yet, but the owner of the guesthouse suddenly became more cheerful and how let’s lure me to visit him for a tasting. I made a sad face and explained that I was driving and had no opportunity. To his misfortune, his wife taxis out from around the corner, in a moment realizes what is going on in our cunning heads and with a fight pulls me out of the tenacious clutches of Georgian hospitality.

Roads in Georgia are one level harder than ours, so don't be tempted to offer to drink and then drive. If we drove all day by car, then only the wife could afford wine with meals. It is better to arrive at your destination and relax there in a relaxed atmosphere, rather than risk your family on the way. A small amount of alcohol is allowed in the traffic rules of Georgia, but you should not abuse it, because in order to really sit with one of the locals, no ppm is enough.

At 2 km from Sighnaghi, we stop at the Bodbe Monastery - a really cool place and everyone who is in the area needs to visit it. The link has a full description with photos, and we rush home and arrive in Tbilisi in the dark.

On the recommendation of the hostess, we went to have dinner at the cafe of the Samikitno network, which is located near the Marjanishvili metro station on David the Builder Avenue 110. A normal place, delicious food, locals and tourists go, stylized interiors, low prices, free wifi and an extensive menu.

The restaurants of this chain are usually large, 2-3 floors, so they can serve for a long time, in Batumi they made khinkali for me for an hour (!) The previous day, we had dinner in a small alley, which was filled with street restaurants, walking one after another close - we liked it there: fast service, they understand and speak Russian, and most importantly, there is a "romantic" atmosphere. And Samikitno ... just come to eat in between times, while you can specifically hang on time.

Departure to Racha

Morning seventh day started with the collection of bags and the last adjustments to the route. Due to the fact that Racha is not a very touristy region, I decided to play it safe at the last moment and asked Tamara to call the person we planned to stay with. It turned out that today he was leaving for a couple of weeks. It was a real bummer, the whole plan collapsed, but I wanted to visit Racha by any means and refused to miss this region of Georgia.

Tamara remembered one girl who seems to live there. A long search began for her phone, which did not answer, but suddenly a response came from Facebook. Skype showed us the rooms and the territory, and without hesitation I gave the go-ahead.

But we had to go much further than Khvanchkara - to the village of Gebi, which is located at the very end of this mountainous area. A tourist there is listed in the Red Book and Yetis are much more common than daredevils like us. But this is another story, full of untouched Georgian nature, climbing mountains, forcing mountain river and unexpected surprises.

If I have not tired you, then do not waste time and start reading my

My wife and I decided that we would definitely go for a week to walk around Tbilisi and its environs. Ride on May holidays was the perfect fit for us. We flew out on the night of May 8-9 with a company of three people: me, my wife and her friend. We got from the airport to the rented apartment for 30 GEL.

The Georgian capital Tbilisi is a hospitable and full of joy city. It is located on the banks of the Kura River, at the intersection of the main trade routes between Europe and Asia. Previously, Tbilisi was called Tiflis, and the current name was given due to the hot sulfur springs: “tbili” in Georgian means “warm”.

Everyone who enters the local streets inevitably feels the spirit of ancient history: the city was founded in the 5th century. Over the centuries of its existence, Tbilisi has repeatedly been subjected to raids, arson and devastation, but each time again returned to life. Today, the city continues to develop rapidly, carefully preserving its unique culture.

Modern Tbilisi is the economic, political and industrial center of Georgia. Its appearance is a bright mixture of majestic ancient cathedrals and dilapidated fortresses, old quarters and colorful courtyards with openwork balconies, Soviet buildings and ultra-modern business centers. Travelers come here to enjoy magnificent nature, wander around historical places to get acquainted with temperamental local residents, try authentic cuisine - in other words, get unforgettable emotions from a holiday in ancient city with a big heart.

How to get to Tbilisi

The most popular mode of transport for travelers from Moscow to Tbilisi is by plane. Several airlines regularly operate flights from Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo. Ticket prices for direct and connecting flights almost the same, but flights with transfers are much longer in time. Planes land at the International Airport. Shota Rustaveli, you can get to the city center by taxi, bus or train.

Direct trains from Russia to Georgia do not yet run, but for fans of land travel there are Moscow-Tbilisi buses. Read all the subtleties and details in our article.

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Districts of Tbilisi

The Kura River flows through the whole of Tbilisi, dividing the city into two halves. The most interesting areas for tourists are the Old City, Avlabar and Mtatsminda, where the main attractions and the most expensive hotels and restaurants are located. The remaining parts of the city are being actively built up with new houses and do not represent significant historical value.

Avlabar is the area from where, presumably, the construction of the Georgian capital began. There is also unique monuments culture and architecture: Sameba Cathedral, the palace of Queen Darejan, the ruins of the Armenian Cathedral of Avetaran.

In Tbilisi

Cuisine and restaurants of Tbilisi

The most popular Georgian lunch is served according to the “khachapuri plus khinkali” formula: a cheese cake for an appetizer and hearty dumplings as a main course. You can also dine in barbecue, pizzerias and other international eateries. Georgian pastries are offered in the Machakhela chain of national pop restaurants - only 10 outlets in Tbilisi - as well as in the pretty Lunch Ladies establishment. "Khinkalis Sakhli" on the street. Rustaveli specializes in all kinds of khinkali.

Do not forget to order Georgian wine for your meal and consider yourself lucky if the restaurant serves homemade wines in an earthenware jug.

Many varieties of wines from all over Georgia - in the "House of Wine".

You can kill a worm, as well as have a hearty lunch at the "Gabriadze Cafe" - traditional Georgian dishes and very appetizing, the interior - tables and chairs hand-painted by the director himself with plots and phrases from "Mimino", "Kin-dza-dza" and other famous films and performances. To dine with taste, delighting the ear with music, and the look with decor, is in "Dzveli Sakhli" on the street. Sanapiro, in "Kopala" overlooking Avlabar or ethnographic restaurant "Tamada".

Lunch in an inexpensive Tbilisi cafe will cost about 14 GEL, dinner with wine in good restaurant- at 37 GEL. Food prices here are generally quite democratic: for example, in one of the most expensive establishments, Old Metekhi, a cup of tea will cost only 2 GEL, and kalmakhi (salmon dish) - 6-7 GEL.

The Georgian street food also deserves a mention. In numerous stalls, it is worth trying khachapuri with cheese (1-2 GEL), white cakes (0.70 GEL), donuts (0.10 GEL) and white cheese (10 GEL per 1 kg).

The most colorful Georgian establishments are “dukhans”, where local men traditionally gather to have a hearty meal and discuss the latest news. Most of them are located in the old part of the city and are easily recognizable by their austere interiors: dark halls with vaulted ceilings, wooden furniture and lack of any decor. The complete opposite of the "spirits" in mood - noisy and hospitable restaurants with live music, where in the evenings they sing and dance, and the wine flows like water. For example, in "Metekhis Chrdili" - frequent performances with folk songs, in the restaurant-museum "Melnitsa" - folklore performed by the best local groups, in the "Georgian House" - incendiary dances until the morning. But the prices here are also higher: the cost of one hot dish alone can reach 100 GEL.

The best photos of Tbilisi

Guides in Tbilisi

Entertainment and attractions

5 things to do in Tbilisi

1. Look at ancient Tbilisi from observation deck Fortress Narikala.
2. Spend time in the sulfur baths of Abanotubani for the benefit of the body and spirit.
3. See at once all the architectural wealth of Georgia in the Ethnomuseum on Turtle Lake.
4. Try out at least a dozen variations of the “khachapuri plus khinkali” duet.
5. Buy an old costume and a real dagger at flea market at the Dry Bridge.

Tbilisi for children

Mtatsminda Park (website) is famous for its multi-colored castles with "falling" roofs and, of course, attractions: children's, family, extreme and games. In winter, Tovli Babua, the Georgian Santa Claus, lives here. Admission is free, the cost of attractions is 2-5 GEL.

Mtatsminda Park is located on highest point Tbilisi, from the observation deck offers an excellent panorama.

The Ethnographic Museum is a real miniature model of Georgia, reflecting its diverse ethnic culture. On the territory there are about 70 traditional residential buildings from different regions of the country. A training center is open for children, where you can practice forging techniques. The cost of an adult ticket is 1.50 GEL, a child ticket is 1 GEL.

The children's town "Mziuri", which means "sunny", was opened according to the idea of ​​the writer Nodar Dumbadze. Unusual landscapes, sculptures fairytale heroes, themed events - everything you need for an exciting family vacation.

Little guests of Tbilisi will definitely like the local zoo. Endangered species are represented here, all the inhabitants have their own names, some animals can even be stroked. There are 147 species of fish in the giant aquarium. Entrance - 0.50 GEL, for children under 3 years old - free of charge.

Weather

The climate of Tbilisi is temperate continental, summers are long and hot, autumns and springs are warm and rainy, winters are mild and relatively dry. The best time to travel to the Georgian capital is from early May to mid-October. However, it should be borne in mind that at the height of summer it is very hot here, and prices are high season increase significantly. An interesting nuance: local weather forecasters often underestimate real indicators, because at temperatures above +40 ° C it is necessary to declare an official holiday in the country.