Category Archives: 2019:Caucasus

Bagrati Cathedral

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I had spent most of the night going back and forth between bed and bathroom – something had upset my stomach – and as such did not feel too good this morning. The tour continued nevertheless. We left the hotel after breakfast (just tea for me) and made the short walk over to Bagrati Cathedral (ბაგრატის ტაძარი).

The cathedral was originally built in the 11th century by King Bagrat III (hence the name) and is a great piece of Georgian medieval architecture. However – as with so many other buildings in the region – invasions and earthquakes have taken their toll. Reconstruction works were started in the middle of the past century and finally concluded in 2012. Though the changes done as part of the reconstruction ultimately resulted in the cathedral’s status as UNESCO world heritage site to be revoked.

Kutaisi – from a Ferris Wheel

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We were through with the program for today and had made it to our hotel in Kutaisi. There was still an hour to kill until dinner, so I decided for a walk over to the little amusement park on the next hill. And then – well – the usual story did set in … if I see a Ferris Wheel, I need to have a ride – especially if it is old and rusty – and Soviet built. There is nothing better than enjoying the views, while listening to the squeaking of the gondola … 😉

Gelati Monastery

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This gallery contains 15 photos.

The real highlight of Kutaisi though was only to come now – Gelati Monastery (გელათის მონასტერი). Gelati Monastery goes back to the year 1106, is considered a masterpiece of the Georgian Golden Age; its inside features many colorful murals and … Continue reading →

Kutaisi Impressions

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A drive of about 2.5 hours got us to Kutaisi (ქუთაისი).

Here we made it straight to the Green Bazaar for a bit of shopping, photography or just for soaking in the market atmosphere with all its smells and sights. Flavors got into the game during a coffee break with local sweets later on – after a small walk around town, which also included a stop at the Tetri Bridge across the Rioni river.

Batumi Botanical Garden

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According to the itinerary, we should have visited Batumi Botanical Garden just after our arrival to Batumi. However due to the torrential rain two days back, we were now making it up and had the visit thrown in today, before continuing to Kutaisi.

The bus did drop us at the top entrance of the park and we made our way through the nine themed sections (including Caucasian, East Asia, New Zealand, South America, Himalayas, Australia and the Mediterranean) – until we eventually got to the exit at the bottom, where the bus was already waiting for us.

Batumi Sunset

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As the weather had cleared up, we decided, to go and enjoy the views and the sunset over a pre-dinner cocktail from the Nephele Sky Bar on the 20th floor of the Batumi Hilton.

Borjomi

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Today was a driving day, covering the trip from Akhaltsikhe to Batumi, a distance of about 325km and a good five hours of pure driving. This was also the day with the worst weather during the whole trip, with rain throughout the whole day.

About an hour out of Akhaltsikhe we had our first and only sightseeing stop for the day. Though sightseeing might be the wrong word here, as the real attraction of Borjomi are the springs of mineral water. The waters – well – does not look too special … it is rather the quiet unique taste, that makes it famous throughout the former Soviet Union, as well as in Eastern Europe. 

We of course had a chance a sample the water right from a water fountain in Borjomi’s Central Park. I found the water much too salty … I typically drink water, that is low in sodium, so Borjomi with its about 1.5 grams of salt per liter (yes, that is grams, not milligrams) was just too much. By now it was raining heavily and we made it back to the bus and continued the journey towards Batumi.

Gyumri

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Once we got back to Gyumri (Գյումրի) we had a quick guided tour of the main attractions around the city center – Yot Verk Church, Vartanants Square, the Church of the Holy Saviour and the Memorial to the Victims of the 1988 Earthquake.