Known for
The sulfur baths under the blue tiles of the Orbeliani, the wooden balconies, and the Narikala ridge above the roofs.
Balconies, sulfur baths and the Narikala ridge
Old Town
ძველი თბილისი
Shardeni, Sioni, Erekle II, Abano, Betlemi
The Old Town stands on the right bank of the Mtkvari, under the Narikala ridge. From Gorgasali Square, which people also call Meidan, the lanes run out into Sioni, Erekle II and Shardeni. South of that, in the Leghvtakhevi gorge, are the brick domes of the sulfur baths and the mosque. Above the baths, the Betlemi stairs climb toward the churches and the fortress. The wooden balconies are lived in.
Why go
Give the morning to the lanes and the churches, before the groups settle on the square. The baths are better later in the day. By dinner Shardeni is the loudest and most tourist street in the quarter. The rooms people actually use are on the side lanes.
Where to stay
Sleep here if you want the lanes outside the door. A light sleeper will not get a quiet night on Shardeni or above a restaurant: the music runs late. For the same walk and quieter nights, go up into Sololaki.
Local guide
Fedor Samorodov · guide
The blue Orbeliani baths rent private rooms. The plain public bathhouses are a different visit. See the domes from the Betlemi stairs and the ridge, not from a table on Shardeni.
Where to have it
- Patara Dzagli — Patara Dzagli с грузинского — «маленькая собака», и собак пускают внутрь: обещают, что хвост будет вилять так же, как твоё настроение. Около трёхсот вин с маленьких семейных виноделен тянутся от Грузии до Новой Зеландии. Дегустацию ведут Илья и Алекс: перед каждым бокалом короткая история про сорт, регион и метод, в наборе игристое, белое, янтарное и красное. К вину бери сырную тарелку, а оливки, сыр или мясную нарезку на дегустации закажи отдельно.