If you need a reason to visit Tbilisi I will give you 5!
But first,
A SURVIVAL KIT
Before you arrive in Tbilisi make sure to purchase an eSim card. You will need it -especially to move around. Find one here (thanks Lito for the rec!)
Download the Bolt app, to move around town and to and from the airport. Never pick a taxi from the street!
If you are a EU citizen you don’t need a passport to enter the country, you can do so with your ID card.
Georgia’s official currency is Georgian Lari/GEL. You don’t really need cash, unless you want to purchase something from a flea market or a street vendor.
Tbilisi is quite compact, you can easily walk around. (Bolts are quite cheap for longer distances.) Be careful while walking or crossing the streets, as Georgians drive quite aggressively. There aren’t many pedestrian lights to cross the streets, but there are several underpasses. Plan your crossing ahead of time to avoid back and forth in the streets, unless you want to increase your step count!
Always ask for water in restaurants and cafes, they don’t tend to bring on their own.
Preferably, visit Tbilisi between mid March and the end of May or early September to late October to increase your chances of sunny days and avoid the crowds.
EVEN IF YOU DON’T GO FOR ANYTHING ELSE, GO FOR STAMBA
Stamba is not just a hotel, it’s like a community. Of course they have rooms and their -very good- restaurant…
Their design is very considerate but also so much fun. The amenities in each of the rooms are impressive, from the very cool shower, to the La Marzocco coffee machine in each one and the Macintosh hi-fi sound system. But also the endless variety of books both in the rooms and the hotel’s lobby.
…but they also have a Contemporary Photography Museum, an indoor SpaceFarm, an Amphitheater, the D Block Workspace, an in-house hotel Atelier and Shop!
In the first floor of the hotel you can find Chaos concept store with a good selection of independent brands, selected vintage, movie posters and quirky paraphernalia.
Ok, we’ve established where you’ll be staying. Next?
GO FOR THE BRUTALIST AND THE SOVIET ARCHITECTURE
I love Brutalism and I’ve never had the chance to see examples of the Architectural movement out in the wild (except from the Barbican in London). So for me, Tbilisi was an exciting Architectural gem hunt!
PALACE OF RITUALS aka palace of weddings
The Palace of Rituals’ architect was Victor Jordenadze -who was known in Tbilisi as Butsa. The building is inspired by 1920’s expressionism, medieval Georgian church architecture and Georgian traditional accommodation.
The left spiral block, resembling a snail, is, according to Victor, "male," where the groom's party assembles. The bride enters through the right, "female" spiral block with its six asymmetrical window holes. After the ceremony, they pass the fountain of life and exit through the central door between the slabs of the bell-tower. Baptisms were to take place in the innermost turn of the female spiral.
“Victor and Merab in the construction bureau in the cathedral. Victor had pulled out a floor plan of the building to explain his ideas, he stood back and smiled. "Take a look! What do you see?" On first glance I saw a face, perhaps a Chinese-monkey mask, but then in a flash I knew what it was: the anatomical cross-section of a female abdomen.... The uterus, the ovaries, the radiating ovum, and the vagina exiting between the two slabs of the bell-tower. This insight came so sudden and was so strong that my thought had escaped before I realized what I was saying. Victor stared at me and then shook his head. "Yes, that's what it is," he said raising his bushy brows, "You are the only person who has seen that.... My mother is a gynecologist. I took the design from one of her books. - But how could you know?" He spontaneously gave me the plan, which for several years hung in my office.”
Around town
The Apple of Love is comprised by 145 bronze panels. These sculptures depict scenes from global myths, tracing the arc of human passion from the Fall to the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.
Before becoming one of the first nations to convert to Christianity, in the early 4th century, Georgia was a tapestry of pagan cultures, including Zoroastrianism, Hellenism, and many more. While the specific tradition in which Berikaoba originated during this period remains unclear, it was a festival to welcome spring fertility and good fortune through the year.
Chronicles of Georgia
Order a Bolt to go there as it’s 30’-45’ minute drive. The monument’s impressive pillars will certainly make up for the time you will spend stuck in traffic. The Chronicles of Georgia is a massive sculpture by Zurab Tsereteli. The carvings commemorate 3,000 years of Georgian statehood and 2,000 years of Christianity.
The main sculpture consists of 16 pillars (arranged in the shape of a cross) that reaches 35 metres high. There are 3 horizontal ‘layers’, a triptych that you can read from left to right, with each level telling a different story.
On the bottom there are recognisable Biblical scenes ; the tall middle band depicts important figures from Georgian history (monarchs, diplomats, poets and writers); and a third level on the outer columns reveals important national traditions such as the Rtveli wine vintage.
As the monument has a free entrance and can be accessed 24/7, the best time to visit is during sunset. The sun illuminates the pillars with its golden light, creating a breathtaking contrast against the evening sky.
P.S: Order your Bolt back to the city before leaving the monument, as your pickup may take some time.
THE FOOD AND COFFEE SCENE
I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of choices in restaurants and cafés in the city.
Unfortunately I couldn't try them all -even if I wanted to- with my limited time in Tbilisi.
Mint, along with Veriko* are tucked in a lush garden, which is perfect during the day. In the same garden you can find Ieri store, filled with Georgian independent designers.
Obviously, the petit wine bars and restaurants need reservations especially during the weekend. Probably you won’t be able to call so maybe it’s a good idea to ask your hotel’s reception to make one for you.
They Said Books* is a cute coffee shop-Bookstore. You can also find magazines like 1granary and Cahiers D'Art.
The ones we wanted to try but didn't have the time:
Fabrika (a multi-cultural center in an old industrial building)
Salobe Bia (everyone’s suggestion)
Iasamani (close to the Botanical Garden)
Shavi Lomi (for salads)
Bazari Orbeliani (food court)
*It's Beautiful Here tips
GEORGIAN MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
I had to choose just 1 museum, and I think I made the right choice. We almost had the museum to ourselves, which is always a treat! It’s filled with works by Georgian artists, and I was quite impressed —I even discovered a few new favourites.
In Levan Choghoshvili’s artistic exploits, the traditionalism and avant-garde traits of vision and concept are interwoven in harmony. Through a collage-style integration of old photos into his compositions, their artistic and oil painting interpretation, and conventional means of execution, he creates original artistic structures. Deformed figures from black and white family photo albums, refined combinations of colors, and the expressiveness of medieval murals and lines define his style. With its aesthetically and emotionally eloquent imagery, Choghoshvili's oeuvre evokes memories of some of the dramatic periods in Georgian history.
By generalizing the real world, Gia Gugushvili achieves its minimalistic representation, in which images created through the methods of artistic distortion are characterized by the cleanness and conventionality of children's naïve paintings. The artist takes their presence as gradual clues that are barely visible in the flow of colors and ultimately disappear.
Nonetheless, what remains is a sense of the simplicity, lightness, and unhurriedness of a child's world or the undefiled prehistoric realm. The romanticized perception of the universe and a refined palette of colors are invariable prerequisites of his works, and his set of representational techniques serves that very purpose.
Irakli Sutidze’s oeuvre repeats particular motifs. His romantic world is idealistic. Nothing can disturb his order and peace, and the images of cities, people, animals, and objects are symbolic icons frozen in time. Along with a slightly ironic attitude toward artistic images, the aloofness of representation instills a sense of the notability of the visualization of generalized forms. The uniqueness of Irakli Sutidze's artistic world lies in the lustrous radiance of his oil painting achieved by the artist through the interaction between the translucent layers of oil paint and the scrupulous processing of colorful structures with jewelry-like refinement.
A COLLAGE OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS
A photo dump of the city’s medley of different architectural styles and traditions.
Happy travels!
Stella