Kazbegi, sulfur baths and qvevri — what else to do in and around Tbilisi apart from eating

Kateryna Basina
Nov 2 · 15 min read

1. Take a trip to Kazbegi

Kazbegi is a small village in the heart of the Georgian Caucasus. If you love mountains, it can be easily done as a day trip from Tbilisi.

We bought a tour for 4 people at a tourist office on Rustaveli street and set off at 9 in the morning. It took us more than 3 hours to get to Kazbegi, stopping on the way at the following langmarks: Tbilisi water reserve, Annanuri fortress (fairly uninspiring apart due to the swarms of tourists climbing the ancient walls, also flooded toilets), the point where the White and the Black Aragvi rivers merge into one, and two streams of distinctly different colours flow side by side. At the mountain pass near Gudauri we saw stretches of land and distant peaks covered with snow. The excursion vans typically take the Old Military Road, and movement in one direction only is allowed before and after lunch. This is because of the tunnels build for use during winter time are so narrow two cars wouldn’t be able to pass each other inside them.

We arrived at Stepantsminda, the village at the foot of Mount Kazbegi, at around one in the afternoon. There our large excursion group was split into jeeps steered by local Georgian drivers. As we started driving up a seemingly impossible road up, the hairs on our body began to rise. At the end of the ascent there was a pile of dirty snow. Our driver accelerated, and it felt like one side of the jeep started falling into the abyss on our right side, then with a jerk jumped over the muddy snow. As if we haven’t had enough scare, our driver flew up a mountain to park and stopped at the very edge of a cliff, right where the hill started sloping off. We climbed out, sweating, grey hairs added on our heads, quietly cursing the wrecklessness of local Georgian drivers.

Kazbegi mountain towering over the car park

We got around 30 minutes to walk around and inside Gergeti church and take in miraculous views of Kazbegi and the surrounding mountain range. Swarms of tourists again, but alas, in the modern world, there’s less and less you can do about it. Drive for 4 hours to enjoy the mountain views for 30 minutes, some people called us the old-time romantics.

Gergeti church

After voluminuous lunch at Stepantsminda we climb into the minivan and head back on the same road. We stop near Gudauri resort at the monument to friendship of Russsian-Georgian nations to enjoy the views one last time.

If you’re asolutely against bus tours, I wouldn’t recommend this trip. I would definitely stay at least one night there next time and climb to Gergeti on foot. But for those dreaming about Caucasus this is an accessible and easy way to peek at the grandeur and vicious beauty of these austere mountains, which leave a strange longing in your soul.

2. Experience Tbilisi sulfur baths in Abanotoubani district

We had been putting off going to the baths until the last day, and, as Murphy’s law goes, it was pouring so hard on the day, the locals were letting stray dogs onto restaurant terraces and house hallways. Rain was a sheer sheet of fabric without any holes or breaks in it, all day long. We got to the baths district at about 7 in the evening. We went into the first one, a line of 10 people in front of us, all being told there were no rooms available this evening, or next one, and the reservation could be made only on the third day for 11 o’clock at night. You see, in most baths you can only book a private room and there are no public pools. But we’re not of the meek kind. We went to the second bath, and the third and the sixth one. In the fifth one we asked about the public pools and were told there is a men’s and a women’s room, but in the women’s room there’s only a shower. Guess women only deserved a shower in that one. In number six I saw a man slide a chocolate into the cashier’s window, a century-old way of bribing, especially those who look at you from behind little windows. We were starting to get desperate, running up and down in this biblical flood, when a man who looked like a nouveau riche butler pointed us towards a dirty yellow building without any signs. We entered a mosaic hall with dirty walls and a stray dog sleeping in the middle of a dark hallway.

Listening to street musicians in Abantoubani district

-At least there are no lines!- I tried to humor Danylo who was as dark as the clouds outside.

-Let’s hope there are no deadly diseases either.- he retorted.

The price for a public bath was 15 lari for men and 5 for women and the men’s had a sauna, while the women’s didn’t.

We rented towels and I went into the women’s changing rooms. I was greeted by a big Georgian woman in black, she was sitting on a stool in the middle of a room that would have looked like a monastery cell if it wasn’t for the bras, underwear and shawls hanging behind her that she was selling. The table in front of her was full of knick knacks unrelated to bathing — some souvenir magnets, playing cards, hair ties.

The woman solemnly explained the procedure:

-You choose the safe, undress, and then I lock it. You can give me your jewelry to keep guard.

She didn’t look like someone I’d trust with my jewelry, so I took off all the clothes, put my wedding ring into my backpack and asked her to lock my safe. After doing so, she put the key into the deep pocket of her skirt.

Is my safe number 1 or 11? I can’t make out because the chalk one the door is almost gone.

-It’s 11 love, but when you come out, it’ll be the first one on that end! She was thoroughly enjoying her own joke.

I opened the door to the bath. It was a big room with a tall ceiling and small plastic windows under it. There were rusty pipes in place of showers. Two women were massaging two girls in silence and sulfur mist. A strong smell of rotten eggs filled the room. Near the opposite wall was a sulfur pool the size of a dining table. I tried to open water in one of the showers.

-Here, go under this one — one of the masseuses pointed to a shower from which water was constantly flowing. Then I climbed into the pool. The women finished working on two beautiful Japanese girls who climbed the pool.

-Would you like a massage, love? A younger masseuse addressed me.

-My husband took all the money and now he’s in a different part of a building,- I mumbled. Can I pay you after I go out?

-Sure, love, do you want a scrub? That’ll be 20 lari.

The sulfur fog clouded my mind, so next thing I remember was lying down on a stone bench and Saida scrubbing me with a hard loofa. She is putting some green substance on my face and scrubs each area of a body several times, putting so much pressure I’m afraid she’ll tear my moles off.

Saida is an Iranian Muslim of the fourth generation, the fact I somehow find even more fascinating considering she works on me topless. She is around 40, but her body is lean and tanned and her dark curly hair is tied up. There’s a lot of power in her hands.

She speaks Russian with a strong accent, often substituting female inflections with the male ones. She asks me about my husband a lot, and I find out she lives with her parents not far from the baths, and they regularly go to pray in the only mosque in Tbilisi, located a couple of hundred meters from the baths she works in.

-I’ve been everywhere, she says assertively, but I can’t live anywhere but here. I love it here, the people. The people are great, don’t you think?

I assure her I do, because I believe so and because by the time she starts her soap massage I feel very relaxed. She says a lot of Georgians came back after war in Ukraine started and wonders how “they” allowed this. I deliberately don’t ask who “they” are, but say “they” didn’t have any right to invade someone else’s land. She looks me in the eye quite suspiciously.

She asks me questions about Prague, my life situation, why I don’t have children, my age and compliments me on my healthy look. Everyone’s gone, and our voices echo back from the vaulted ceiling.

When she’s finished, she offers me to use the pool one more time. She takes off all the little clothes she has and thoroughly washes herself under the ever-running shower.

-Saida, should I wash myself after the sulfur bath?

-Doesn’t matter, love, it’s sulfur there, sulfur in the shower, sulfur everywhere. You’re not scared if I leave you here alone, are you?

And having left me face to face with the tantalizing truth about the sulfur baths she goes to the changing room.

I’m happy I asked her about the meaning of her name. In Iranian, Saida means a dream and somehow it’s the most heartbreakingly beautiful thing on this trip.

3. Walk the Mtatsminda-Narikala tourist path

If you’re in Tbilisi on a sunny day, why not enjoy the green shady hills surrounding the city and go up to the Mtatsminda attractions park?

We took the funicular up to the Pantheon to see a cemetery of prominent men and women who lived and worked in Georgia, among them the tomb of Russian writer Aleksandr Griboyedov, a beautiful tomb of Illya Chavchadze and ballet dancer Vakhtang Chabukiani. Pantheon also features St David’s church with a grotto.

After that we climbed the rest of Mount Mtatsminda (which means “Holy Mountain” in Georgian), facing huge disapproval from my Mom due to many staircases leading to the top. We really needed to refresh our weakened spirits after a rough climb, so we headed to the Funicular restaurant and had some excellent tarhun (Georgian soda of bright green colour, flavoured with tarragon, which gives the drink its name), an assortment of khachapuris, fried donughts and cakes. We were famished! After that, we walked around the attractions park, debated the safety of the ferris wheel, then continued onto Mtatsminda-Narikala tourist path.

The path mostly winds down the hill and lets you take in the beauty of the landscape, spring flowers, buzzing insects and blooming trees, all the way up to the Mother of Georgia statue and Narikala fortress. We finished this gourgeous day hopping around the ruins of the fortress, akin to some mountain goats, and took in the sunset views of the city.

4. Take a trip to Mtskheta on public transport

After Kazbegi we were eager to discover other places in Georgia, but without being rushed by a tour guide and a set excursion program.

Mtskheta was a natural choice, as it is only 20 km from Tbilisi, easily accessible by public transport. It used to be a Georgian capital and made it onto the UNESCO heritage list for its well-preserved religious monuments. To get to Mtskheta, you need to take the metro to Didube bus station and then ask your way around (rather wrestle the annoying taxi drivers) for Mtskheta marshrutka (minibus).

When we arrived to Didube and exited the metro, a guy in a dark blue suit caught me by the sleeve:

-Mtskheta? (Did he see it in my face, I wondered?) We’re leaving in 5 minutes, hurry up!

How wonderful, I thought, we don’t even need to look for a marshrutka!

-Are you a marshrutka driver? — I inquired.

-No, not marshrutka, we’ll go in a car, I’ll show you around, take you to the monastery and back.

-And how much do you want?

-50 lari, not much.

-Oh…and how long will we have to walk around the monastery and the town?

-Well! (indignantly) This is not Hollywood, 20 minutes will be enough for you!

We hurried away from him, laughing. The marshrutka to Mtskheta cost us 4 lari (1 lari per person). We got off in about 20–30 minutes when we saw a big monastery towering above the city. There was a taxi driver waiting at a bus stop, who took us up to Jvari monastery for 20 lari.

Now, Jvari monastery is the place of religious pilgrimage, so expect lots of people in and around the church, lighting candles, kissing icons and posing on the ruins in yoga clothes (not kidding). But you realize it’s all worthy the minute you stand on the balcony and look at Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers flowing together, beautiful and lush mountains around, and the city cosily sitting in the valley right where the two rivers flow together.

View onto the Mtskheta town and rivers Aragvi and Mktvari from Jvari monastery

We went back to Mtskheta for the classic tourist route: to experience the grandeur of Svetatskhavi Cathedral and get freaked out by the icon of Jesus with closed/opened eyes, wander the quiet women’s monastery by the river, buy famous Georgian enamel jewelry Minankari in the souvenir market and have an excellent lunch at Cafe Tatin: sautéed vegetables, and all kinds of khachapuri you could ever dream about: with various cheeses, beans and meat, all generously washed down with excellent Georgian red wine.

We caught the minibus back to Tbilisi at around 6 from the bus station at the bottom of the Samtavro road, next to the fountain. Although it was packed and we had to stand, we were back to Tbilisi in half hour and were soon enjoying more wine, accompanied by cheese and fresh tarragon in a cafe near our airbnb.

5. Enjoy the smells of cypress and wisteria in Tbilisi Botanical Garden

Tbilisi Botanical Garden

I don’t know about you, but I prefer not to spend hot spring afternoons in a concrete city (albeit a beautiful one), whenever there’s an option to spend it surrounded by trees and plants. The Botanical Garden didn’t disappoint. We checked out the waterfall at the end of the Sulfur Baths street first, and then headed to the Garden. Situated just below Narikala fortress, it has a waterfall of its own, a cypress alley, a Japanese garden and is perfect for a little afternoon escape. Unfortunately, picnics are not allowed.

6. Wander the Dry Bridge Flea Market

The flea market at Dry Bridge includes but isn’t limited to: drinking horns made of of various animals, animal skins, cables, old cameras, binoculars, metal dishes, ceramics — I found fine china vases from Germany and Switzerland, fake jewels, paintings, designer shawls and handwoven toys, old appliances, knives, carpets and many more things. It’s a purgatory of used things awaiting a second life, ready to be bought and loved anew. And it feels humbling to be walking around them who have served a lifetime or two or three. Their owners have gone, but the things persist with remarkable stubbornness that material things possess. But none of them was special enough, so we walked away, deaf to their silent material pleas.

7. Marvel at the Holy Trinity Cathedral at night

We got to the Holy Trinity Cathedral late in the evening, at 9 or 10 p.m. We were walking all day long (about 20 km), when my husband suggested going up to the cathedral. At the prospect of climbing yet another flight of stairs, Mom and me collapsed into a hysterical laughter and couldn’t stop. We passed authentic dilapidated yards, where kids were playing their jolly evening games. A cute little girl said “Hello” to us in English and we helloed her back. Finally we entered the big gates leading onto the square in front of the Cathedral.

I’ve never seen Taj Mahal in real life, but my first thought was of it. The peacocks crying in the pitch-black garden, the lit up cathedral being reflected in the pool, the geometric bushes and an olive grove. The cathedral is new, so the interior didn’t impress me as much, but the peacefulness and scale of the place sure did.

8. Pop into a museum

If you find yourself in any city on a very rainy day, museums are always a good place to hide from the weather.

Tbilisi Museum of Arts will give you an overview of Georgian art of the 18–20th century. People flock to see the works of Niko Pirosmanashvili, a Georgian artist whose naive style and love of rural themes brought him world fame, albeit posthumously.

Museum of Georgia offers a splendid archeological collection of gold and jewelry dating back to 3rd century BC, as well as Soviet Occupation Hall which deals with a topic of repressions of prominent Georgian public figures and the story of Soviet power in the country.

9. Buy souvenirs at the Deserter’s Market

The Deserter’s Market is nowhere near old Tbilisi. However, if you want to stock up on typical Georgian food items, it is a good place to go. The Market itself is a bit chaotic, with cars driving right through the middle of it and people haggling for better prices. We managed to buy about 20 churchkhelas (traditional sweets made of starch, grape juice and nuts) of different kind for much cheaper than in the touristy stalls in the centre, 5–6 sheets of pastila (thin fruit paste), Svaneti salt (which is not really salt, but a mix of spices traditionally used in Svaneti region: salt, blue fenugreek, garlic, dill and coriander seeds, chilli pepper, fennel and saffron), black and green tea (don’t ask why, back in the Soviet times Georgian tea was considered one of the best on the market, so we decided to give it a go), and fresh strawberries. The strawberries, despite it being late May, were the sweetest we tried that season.

10. Taste khachapuri, khinkali, lobio and qvevri wine

Eating and drinking in Tbilisi is a whole separate theme to explore. I come from Ukraine, and for Ukrainians a trip to Georgia is synonymical with a gastro-tour. When I asked my best friend, who also happens to be very well-traveled, for any traveling tips for Tbilisi, he was succinct: “Wine and food”.

As for breakfast, Georgians aren’t really about breakfasts and coffee. We ended up having 5 breakfasts out of 7 in excellent Scola on Rustaveli street (also because it wasn’t far from our rented apartment).

However, breakfasts were the only drawback. Pretty much every other meal and drink we had was delicious. I drew up a small list of places where the food was truly outstanding:

Littera

Littera — if weather permits, go for a glass of qvevri wine at this decadent location. Qvevri is amber wine, Georgian speciality. It gets its colour from the special process of fermentation, as it ages in clay amphoras for a period of 5–8 months. Sit in the garden in front of the writers house under an enormous larch tree, gobble on eggplant croquettes, have a glass of qvevri wine and feel like a sybarite.

Fabrika — former factory premises, which have been refashioned into a hostel and a number of restaurants and designer shops. Check out the cool graffiti, enjoy a sip of lemonade and have a sandwich made of local shoti bread right in front of you!

Give me the tarhun and step back

The Funicular Restaurant — feel on top of the world (or at least on top of Tbilisi) in this three-storied venue, which sits on top of the Mtatsminda hill. Choose from a variety of khachapuri (delicious pastry topped with egg and cheese, beans or meat), fried donughts and deserts. Their tarhun (green non-alcoholic drink, flavoured with tarragon syrup) is unbeatable.

Tea at Orbeliani Baths. You simply can not miss Orbeliani baths — a mosaic-clad building in ornamental Eastern style in Abantoubani district, where the sulfur baths are located. My Mom had an unfortunate event of falling from the stairs nearby, so we took a seat and so happened to enjoy the most epic tea party. You can order tea inside the building at the baths reception.

Shardeni Street — is bustling with life, music and tourists in the evening and is fairly uneventful in the afternoon. Kala has great lobio (bean stew served in a clay jar), as well as amazing live jazz sessions, just pop inside and check it out!

Veriko — situated far from the tourist crowds, Veriko is the place to go for amazing vegetarian kharcho, made of stewed eggplant. It is a part of a hub of restaurants, and when we visited it, there was a Georgian family singing traditional songs at a restaurant nearby. Magical!

Pasanauri — a wide choice of appetizers and khinkali with meet, potato and mushroom filling. When we stayed there something caught fire in the kitchen and we had to evacuate because of the smoke, but it didn’t diminish the taste of khinkali in any way.

PurPur — we went to this cosy shabby-chic restaurant in a dilapidated building on our last evening in Tbilisi. Everything about this place is retro in the best way possible: carpets on the walls, old lamps, beautiful restrooms with antique sinks and live music in the style of new chanson. Excellent appetizers, they also do khinkali here, but we went for European cuisine and weren’t disappointed. If you want to feel like you’re dining in somebody else’s flat, check out this place!

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