Rest in Tbilisi and excursion to Sighnaghi. Minibuses and taxis are the best way to get around the country. What can be imported into Georgia without duty

Georgia is a country where your day starts with a smile and ends with a glass of wine. One visit to Georgia is enough to leave your heart here forever. He will be kidnapped by awesome mountain panoramas Kazbegi, sea ​​waves Adzharia, a view of Tbilisi from the Narikala fortress, hot khinkali with a glass of Khvanchkara and, of course, friendliness local residents. This will be confirmed by each of the 6 million tourists who annually visit the homeland of winemaking. Why is it worth going to Georgia? What should you know before your first trip? All answers are in the material Traveling. by , prepared jointly with the specialists of the tour operator "Mouzenidis Travel".

The stunning beauty of the mountains, the purity and warmth of the Black Sea, fragrant cuisine and even wine traditions cannot overshadow one thing in Georgia - the boundless hospitality and responsiveness of local residents. Here, anyone you ask about the right way to the church or fortress will personally take you and tell you everything he knows about it. And every driver in Georgia is a guide at the call of his heart, he will tell you from the bottom of his heart everything he knows about every house, street, temple on your route.

Georgians are a people with an open mind. You will not have time to look back, as they are already treating you to their chacha, wrapping homemade suluguni with you and inviting you to your daughter's wedding next year. And Georgians are like that in everything - they sing charmingly, dance incendiary, make the best wine in the world according to ancient technology, but they cook it in such a way that you will see the Georgian feast in your dreams long after returning home. In this country, hospitality seems to be elevated to a cult. If you are lucky enough to get to a family dinner, the hostess will cook her own the best dishes to show what a skillful cook she is, and the owner will do everything possible to show that he is the head of the family, and you are the most honored guest in their house.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU TRIP

The country, stretched in the highlands between the Caspian and Black Seas, at the junction of West and East, has more than 11 centuries of history. Whoever has visited the fertile Georgian lands during this time - Greeks, Turks, Armenians, Arabs, Russians. Georgians not only took all the best from these cultures, but also organically inscribed this heritage into their carefully preserved traditions.

Georgia has also saved its religion – almost 90% of the population today professes Orthodox Christianity, without contesting the right to other religions: the country has mosques, synagogues, Gregorian, catholic churches. Pilgrims from all over the world flock to Orthodox churches and monasteries.

In addition to shrines, Georgia prepares tourists walking tours in Tbilisi and gastronomic tours in any of the 12 regions of the country, wine cellars of Kakheti, mountain slopes Svaneti, Gudauri and Bakuriani, the beaches of Batumi and the surrounding resort villages.

HOW TO GET TO GEORGIA

Regular flights have been established between Minsk and Georgian airports - you can get directly to Tbilisi (belavia aircraft fly every day) or Batumi (every day in summer, on Wednesdays and Sundays in winter). There are also direct flights from nearby capitals - Moscow and Kyiv.

VISA TO GEORGIA

Belarusians do not need a visa to Georgia, as well as citizens of another 93 countries of the world. To visit Georgia without a visa, you must have a passport that will be valid for another six months after returning from a trip to Georgia. You can stay in the country without a visa for up to 90 days in half a year.

CUISINE OF GEORGIA

One of the most delicious cuisines in the world is Georgian. She absorbed all the best that the gastronomic cultures of other peoples could give her, in different time settled in Georgia. Many people call Georgian cuisine one of the main attractions of the country - and it's impossible to argue with that.

The cuisine is based on an abundance of herbs and vegetables, harmoniously balanced with meat. Because of this, it is almost impossible to get better from these dishes. For cooking, Georgian housewives always take only fresh products - nothing frozen or stored for a long time. They add cilantro to almost all of them - it is precisely its taste that will subsequently cause you persistent nostalgia for Georgia and an acute desire to return.

Feast in Georgia - business card countries. And if you got to the table in the house of a Georgian, then you are incredibly lucky - you will experience the full strength and depth of Georgian generosity. Dishes on the table for dear guests are put in several layers: lobio with mchadi corn tortilla, ajapsandali, khachapuri, khinkali, satsivi, shish kebab, elarji porridge, shish kebab with tkemali sauces, satsebeli or - for the strong in spirit - with Megrelian adjika. A bottle of chacha or wine will give any dish the right notes and mood. By the way, it is customary to order wine here in bottles or jugs right away, you are in Georgia!

There are no restaurants in Georgia where the food is tasteless - the cooking skill of local chefs knows no bounds. And if such places appeared, they simply would not have withstood the huge competition with all the abundance of cafes and restaurants that any Georgian city can boast of. You can learn about the best of them, as a rule, by chance - on the recommendation of locals. For example, about the Shavi Lomi (“Black Lion”) family restaurant on the ground floor of a house with a huge lion graffiti on 23 Amagleba Street in Tbilisi. Or about the bar in the Berlin spirit of Black Dog at 33 Asatiani, with posters of cult westerns and portraits of the heroes of the film The Big Lebowski. About the classic Maspindzelo restaurant next to the Sulfur baths or the Khachapur chain Machakhela.

A hearty dinner for two in Georgia will cost 15 USD, a bottle of wine to it - from 8 USD to 50 USD, depending on the variety. Tips in Georgia are included in the bill and amount to 10-18% of the value of the check.

SHOPPING AND EXCHANGE IN GEORGIA

The monetary unit of Georgia is lari (GEL), which consists of 100 tetri. Other currencies are not accepted for settlements. It is profitable to exchange money away from tourist areas.

What should be brought from Georgia?

The best Georgian souvenirs for gourmets will be Suluguni cheese, better Megrelian. For it, go to a specialized store of the Aristaeus chain. Here, in addition to traditional cheeses, you can buy rare varieties with spices and additives - cheeses aged in beer or wine, with honey and mint, with garlic, with coriander, paprika and others.

And, of course, how can one return from Georgia without a bottle of good wine. One of the most famous is Khvanchkara, which Stalin loved for its sweetness and rich taste. A bottle of real Khvanchkara will cost about 70 lari (about 30 USD). To choose your favorite Georgian wine, do not miss the opportunity to try the red wines Saperavi, Tsinandali and Mukuzani, among the whites - Tvishi, Rkatsiteli and the pink Aladasturi. This is only a small part of the wine variety, in Georgia wines are also produced from rarer grape varieties, including the most ancient technology - in kvevri clay amphoras.

Spices are brought from Georgia (the most popular is Svan salt, a mixture of herbs and salt from the Svaneti region), sauces, jams and the famous Georgian tea (connoisseurs should look at the Tea Museum in Tbilisi at the intersection of Tabidze and Lermontov), ​​and as a more expensive For a souvenir, you should look at jewelry made from the famous Georgian cloisonné enamel using the minankari technique and clothes of Georgian designers.

TRANSPORT (TBILISI)

Moving around Tbilisi is easy - the network is developed here public transport. It is necessary to purchase a card in the metro for 2 GEL and replenish it. The metromani pass is valid for travel on the subway (50 tetri / 0.17 USD), buses (50 tetri / 0.17 USD), minibuses (80 tetri / 0.27 USD), as well as for climbing cable car to Narikala fortress and by funicular to Mount Mtatsminda. It is necessary to keep a receipt for its purchase and return it at any metro ticket office at the end of the trip.

Taxis in Georgia are best booked at the hotel. If you stop a taxi on the street, agree on the cost of the trip in advance.

REST IN GEORGIA WITH CHILDREN

Georgians are family people, they appreciate everything that is connected with the family and love children very much. You will feel it immediately upon arrival in the country. You will meet groups of Georgian schoolchildren during each excursion - in castles, stalactite cave Prometheus, in the rocky cave city of Vardzia and on the Martian-looking slopes of Uplistsikhe. What child didn't imagine being a knight or a conqueror? It is these excursions that help develop imagination and capture little travelers.

In Tbilisi, be sure to check out Botanical Garden or to the water park, which is open all year round. Special place occupies the amusement park "Mtatsminda" on the mountain of the same name - climbing it on the funicular will already become an adventure for the baby. And when your cabin of the Ferris Wheel is at the very height, remember that you are at the highest possible height above Tbilisi and observe the entire panorama of the million-plus city.

ENTERTAINMENT IN GEORGIA

Georgia is a country not only of wine and gastronomic tours, but also exciting excursions into the history that small mountain towns. The city of love Singaga, the village of Kazbegi with a view of the majestic Kazbek, the restored fortress of Rabat, the complex of David Gareji of the VI century in the mountains, Kutaisi in Imereti, the ancient Caucasian fortress of Ananuri, the Alazani valley ... Little hospitable Georgia is ready to give you everything she has: lovers of skiing and trekking - the stunning beauty of the mountain, connoisseurs of knowledge - 11 centuries of its history and valuable artifacts, pilgrims - oldest monasteries and churches with relics, gastronomic fans - Qvevri wine and full tables of dishes, lovers nightlife- clubs of Batumi and bars of Tbilisi, for those who yearn for the sea - the entire coast of beaches, and for those who yearn for human warmth - the Georgian soul, open and pure, like Georgia itself.

Choose your saturation level excursion program:

Light: Holiday program “Eureka! Tbilisoba. Gifts of autumn»

• Only two days - from 6 to 7 October 2018, the most popular Georgian festival will be held in the capital of Georgia. As part of the program, you will not only spend several unforgettable days in the world capital of winemaking, take part in wine and Georgian cuisine tastings, but also get a boat trip on the Kura River as a gift!
• Meals: breakfast
• Cost: $484 for 5 nights

Standard: "All Colors of Georgia" 1 / "All Colors of Georgia" 2

• Route: No. 1 Tbilisi - Uplistsikhe - Mtskheta - Gori - Borjomi - Akhaltsikhe - Vardzia - Kakheti - Wine Land
• Meals: breakfast + 1 lunch
• Route: No. 2 Mtskheta - Gori - Uplistsikhe - Batumi - Martvili - Okatse - Prometheus Cave - Kutaisi - Sataplia
• Meals: breakfast
• Cost: #1 - $672 for 5 nights; #2 - $730 for 5 nights

In-depth: "Georgian Odyssey"

• Route: Mtskheta - Gori - Uplistsikhe - Batumi - Martvili - Okatse - Prometheus Cave - Kutaisi - Sataplia - Tbilisi - Borjomi - Akhaltsikhe - Rabat - Kakheti - Wine Land (Bodbe - Signagi - Telavi) - Annanuri - Kazbegi
• Meals: breakfast + 1 lunch
• Cost: $1040 for 9 nights

Advanced: Wine and gastronomic tour "Gamarjoba, Georgia!"

• Route: sightseeing tour in Tbilisi - Mtskheta - Uplikhtsikhe - Chateau Mukhrani - Kakheti - Wine Land - Alaverdi - Tbilisi
• Meals: breakfasts + 4 lunches with drinks + 4 dinners with drinks, cooking classes
• Cost: $732 for 5 nights

GEORGIA CITIES AND RESORTS GUIDE

Tbilisi

Georgians say: if you haven't been to Tbilisi, you haven't seen Georgia. This city is worth choosing for the first acquaintance with the country. It captivates with colorful houses scattered on the slopes of Mount Mtatsminda with carved balconies and garlands of colored linen on them, churches reflected in the Kura River, cats in the narrow streets of the old city, the ancient Narikala fortress, which offers the best panorama of the capital of Georgia. Tbilisi streets keep the love story of Alexander Griboyedov and Nina Chavchavadze, the echoes of the steps of Tchaikovsky, Lermontov and Mayakovsky.

Be sure to check out the performance on the clock tower of the Rezo Gabriadze Marionette Theatre. Right here you can have a cup of coffee in the cafe "Don't Cry!" - the interior of the cafe was completely created by Rezo Gabriadze himself, the creator of the films “Do not Cry!”, “Mimino”, “Eccentrics”, “Kin-dza-dza!”, “Unusual Exhibition”.

Where to dine in Tbilisi:

• Georgian house with interesting interior,
• Mravaljamieri, where you can see incendiary Georgian dances,
• Cafe Funicular on Mount Mtatsminda,
• Tabla high class restaurant,
• restaurant Tavadouri on the banks of the Kura.

Must visit ancient capital- Mtskheta. It is located just 20 km from Tbilisi - here the confluence of the Kura and Aragvi rivers creates an unusual panorama, the Jvari monastery of the 7th century flaunts on the mountain, and the tunic of Christ is buried in the grandiose Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.

The pilgrimage program "Holy Places of Orthodox Georgia" includes visits to the main holy places of the country, churches that have the most important spiritual and historical meaning, places associated with the educator of Georgia, St. Nina. The cost of the tour is from 784 USD, 7 nights / 8 days, breakfast + dinner, flight included.

8 things you must do in Georgia:

• climb the cable car: in Tbilisi - on ancient fortress Narikala, in Batumi - to Mount Anuria, from where you can enjoy a stunning panorama of the city;
• visit the sulfur baths in Tbilisi (the most beautiful bath is Orbelianovskaya, which Alexander Pushkin himself visited) and check for themselves their magical effect on the skin. By the way, next to them is a monument to the heroes of the beloved film "Mimino";
• listen to how Georgian men sing - Georgian polyphonic singing is included in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List;
• take a funicular ride to Mount Mtatsminda in Tbilisi and try donuts with cream in the cafe upstairs. Order traditional Logidze Water lemonade with tarragon, cream soda, lemon or pear flavors;
• decide on your favorite sort of Georgian wine by going to wine tour;
• learn how to eat khinkali correctly - hold the tail, carefully biting off so as not to spill the hot fragrant broth;
• choose your favorite type of khachapuri with cheese - Adjarian, Imeritian, Megrelian or other;
• visit the local market and bargain for homemade suluguni, churchkhela (a sweet made from nuts strung on a string and grape or pomegranate juice) and walnut jam.

Batumi

For a few recent years Batumi has changed a lot and is not inferior to others European cities- The resort is declared a national project. Modern buildings and hotels of world chains Sheraton, Hilton, Radisson and others have appeared here. The Batumi embankment is one of the most beautiful and romantic places Batumi. Both tourists and locals love to walk here past palm trees against the backdrop of sunset. You can rent a bike and ride along the promenade to see all the sculptures set against the backdrop of the sea. The most touching of them is the monument to Ali and Nino, the heroes of the book of the same name about eternal love. Giant figures slowly move, either converging and merging into a single whole, then parting again, as if forever. On the embankment of Batumi, some episodes of the famous Soviet film"Love and pigeons".

Recently, the fame of the “Georgian Las Vegas” has been entrenched in Batumi - at night the city is lit with casino lights, expensive hotels, Alphabet tower and Ferris wheel. It is good to enjoy the view of this spectacle from the terrace of one of the restaurants on the shore - to the sound of the waves and the cries of seagulls. Local restaurants seafood have the reputation of being the best in Georgia.

IN summer time the same coast will give you sea baths, a bronze tan and water activities. In winter, holidays in Batumi can be combined with ski holidays in the new Goderdzi resort, which is just an hour's drive from the city.

Borjomi

This medical resort in the mountains at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level is famous for its mineral water. It is worth going to Borjomi for a relaxing holiday in the bosom of nature, walks in the local park, the same amazing Georgian cuisine and health improvement - local sanatoriums and hotels are considered the best in the country, and Georgians themselves love to relax here.

Gudauri

Gudauri confidently takes the palm from other Georgian ski resorts- Bakuriani, Svaneti, Mestia. This young resort, 120 km from Tbilisi, was built by Austrian specialists according to the most modern technologies. To the delight of skiers, 57 kilometers of excellent slopes. Best time for a trip to Gudauri - from December to April, when the slopes are covered with the best snow cover, and in small cozy hotels they burn a fireplace in the evenings.

Why Georgia with Mouzenidis Travel?

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.

// mishkatm.livejournal.com

lived on rented apartment found and booked online. Upon arrival, we called the SunnyRent manager, he met us near the house, took us to the apartment, gave us the keys and took the money. We agreed that we rent an apartment for 5 days, but we will give the keys at one in the morning on the sixth day. I do not recommend this particular apartment (ID: 247, Chikovani St. (former Khiliani), 19, apt. 2), because 1) plumbing killed; 2) the doors to the toilet and bathroom are closed every other time; 3) the furniture is also dead, everything is minimal (there were not enough chairs, bedside tables, hangers, etc.) 4) construction debris on the balcony.

// mishkatm.livejournal.com

For 5 days we had the following plan: Tbilisi, Signagi, Mtskheta, Uplistsikhe.

In Tbilisi we visited Narikala Fortress;

// mishkatm.livejournal.com

Rike and Mtatsminda parks

// mishkatm.livejournal.com

various temples, a weeping wall, turtle lake and much more. Basically, they got everywhere by metro, and then went on foot.

The metro costs 50 kopecks. You buy a magnetic card, put money on it and drive. One magnetic card is enough for everyone. We got the card after the funicular, which carries to the monument to the Mother of Georgia (the funicular to the Mtatsminda Park has its own magnetic card).

// mishkatm.livejournal.com

Turtle lake.

We got by taxi: 7 GEL there, 5 GEL back. A nice place. I advise you to climb the paths to the mountain - it offers a stunning view of Tbilisi. We sat on the mountain for 40 minutes and could hardly get up and leave - it's so beautiful and good there. If we knew, we would definitely take food and wine for a picnic.

// mishkatm.livejournal.com

A photograph of this beauty will not convey. Imagine you are sitting on a high hill. Grasshoppers are chirping around, bees are buzzing. Under the hill is a lake surrounded by coniferous forest. Relaxing calm music is heard from the lake. The air of the coniferous forest mixes with the heated grass and intoxicates you. You lazily watch the city. There are several kilometers to Tbilisi and the city noise is not audible. But you clearly see the bustle of cars, planes taking off from the airfield.

On the way back you can visit ethnographical museum under open sky, but we did not hit it, because the museum was closed (holiday).

Sighnaghi (Sighnaghi)

We arrived by minibus (6 GEL, 2 hours). Minibuses run from the Samgori metro station every two hours, starting at 9:00. Back the last minibus at 18:00 (it is better to take a place on it in half an hour).

Beautiful city about nothing, sham 2-3 streets, a fortress wall in a field with beautiful view to the neighborhood.

// mishkatm.livejournal.com

If you are planning to visit the monastery of St. Nino, it is better to get off there immediately on the way to Sighnaghi - save 5 GEL on a taxi. Taxi Signagi->Monastery costs 5 GEL, Monastery->Holy spring - 10 GEL. In Sighnaghi we had the most delicious restaurant of the trip.

Mtskheta

// mishkatm.livejournal.com

They got to the Jvari Monastery by taxi (20 GEL round trip, the taxi driver faithfully waits at the entrance). The monastery offers a stunning view of Mtskheta.

Uplistsikhe

cave city-fortress, located 15 km east of Gori. We got by minibus to Gori (5 GEL, 1.5 hours), and then by taxi (10 GEL round-trip, the taxi driver faithfully waits at the entrance). Entrance to the territory is 3 lara, the guide is 15 lara. stupidly looking at the stones is not interesting, and there are no explanatory inscriptions (except "Vasya was here") on the stones.

// mishkatm.livejournal.com

We were not lucky with the guide - a cold aunt in broken Russian told something sparingly about the history of the city. But the neighboring group had an emotional girl from Vitebsk as a guide, and we envied them a lot.

Lunch and dinner at restaurants. Dinner for three cost 70-80 GEL (1-2 salads or something else, 3 main courses, bread, a bottle of wine). Food in Tbilisi is not as tasty as in Batumi. As one waiter explained: "Adzharia is a different country. It has a different cuisine and different traditions." Many waiters happily reacted to a tip of 5 GEL and brought coffee as a gift. We cheated once, for which we politely asked to bring a check. The score was recalculated - Belarusian stinginess won.

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. There are a number of ski resorts in Georgia. 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.

Tbilisi is a very beautiful city that can conquer anyone. The hospitality of the locals is simply overwhelming. Traveling for more than a year, I only met in Georgia hospitable people to such an extent that I simply did not want to leave them. Georgian feasts deserve special attention, and I will definitely write about them, but only a little lower. Now I will try to collect all my thoughts and try to state all the details that are important in my opinion.

In Tbilisi, you can easily be understood in Russian, especially by people over thirty years old. In the outback of the country, few people speak Russian, but there is also a chance to be understood.

A visa is not required for a trip to Tbilisi, it is quite enough to have a passport with you. With such a small set of documents, one can stay in Georgia for ninety days.

Foreign currency can be carried in unlimited quantities, and local currency lari is allowed to take only in the amount of twenty-five thousand. If you want to carry more, then get ready for the fact that you will be rightly asked about the sources of your income. In addition to currency, you can freely bring two hundred cigarettes, three liters of wine or ten liters of beer into Georgia, any personal items, but their weight should not exceed one hundred kilograms, you can also bring precious jewelry, but they must be indicated in the customs declaration.

It is forbidden to import drugs and narcotic preparations, weapons and explosives, literature that denigrates Georgia into the territory of Georgia. political system, pornography in any form. It is also prohibited to export from the territory of the country items that are of cultural and historical value.

Foreign currency for local money can be exchanged at banks, exchange offices or in markets with private money changers. The latter is not recommended at all. The best, most profitable and safest thing is to change money in a bank. In Tbilisi, banks are open from nine in the morning until six in the evening weekdays. You can also make an exchange at exchange offices, which are located on almost every corner in the capital, but the exchange rate in them is not as favorable as in banks. You can use credit cards that are accepted for payment in supermarkets and hotels. Apart from credit cards, local banks accept traveler's checks.

The standard of living in this country is very low and, accordingly, the prices here cannot boast of their sky-high prices. You say it's great. Yes, sure. Only for this reason, I do not advise you to use large bills, because the seller may simply not have enough money to give you change. Although if a tourist is seen in you, then it is quite possible that the price will be immediately increased. If you are shopping in the market, I advise you to bargain, but do it in a respectful manner.

Even before the trip to Tbilisi, I read that this city is the most polluted in Europe and all because there is no centralized heating, and, accordingly, hot water. Because of all this, local residents are forced to use potbelly stoves and generators running on diesel fuel. I want to dispel this nonsense immediately. The city is certainly not the cleanest, main street they don’t wash with powder, but I can’t call it the dirtiest either. The problem of hot water is easily solved here with the help of water heaters, but I won’t tell you about heating, since we were in Tbilisi in the summer. Central Avenue city, struck me with its beauty and comfort. There is no pretentiousness here, which is inherent in many European capitals. Everything is simple, everything is at home.

To tourists, the consumer attitude is often applied, but this is only at first. If you ask for something or ask for advice from the locals, they will help you without taking a penny from you. Guests of the city will be led, driven to right place, everyone will tell and everyone will prompt. There are no problems with this in Georgia. Guests here are considered messengers of God, and therefore the attitude towards visitors is appropriate.

If you are lucky, then you will certainly be invited to visit. You should not refuse, because everyone who has ever attended a Georgian feast keeps only the warmest memories of it. Georgian feast is something grandiose and very warm. I cannot find the right words to describe all the hospitality that was shown to us. The family for Georgians is sacred, therefore the attitude to the family hearth and the table is also almost at the sacred level. In Georgia, the elders are very honored, for parents and the elderly, all the best is intended.

If a guest is present at a family meal, then such a family feast turns into a real feast, and believe me, the level of prosperity of the owner of the house, in this case, does not matter in the slightest. As a rule, neighbors, friends, numerous relatives, elders and other respected people are invited to such a celebration of a guest.

During the feast, toasts constantly sound, without which it is difficult to imagine this action. Toasts are instructive, funny, sad, and they also look like a fairy tale. In the intervals, between toasts, there is an exchange of information or simple human communication, because relatives and friends met. At such feasts, the fate of children is often decided, who are wooed, and then married or given in marriage.

The opinion of the guest is always treated with utmost respect, especially the owner of the house. Often there are disputes, noisy real, but not aggressive. Georgians argue in a special way, it is impossible to describe it, because it must not only be heard, but also seen.

When visiting local residents, you can be one hundred percent calm, since the honor of the guest will not be infringed under any circumstances. For parents reserved special places, the best. The first toasts are made to the parents. But in second place, of course, the guest! Be prepared for the fact that you will become a kind of star of the feast. The warmest words will be heard in your honor and the best dishes will be offered to you. What is required from you? Thank the owner of the house and, if possible, thank him in the same way!

My wife and I decided that we would definitely go for a week to walk around Tbilisi and its environs. The May holidays trip was perfect 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.