Travel and Tourism Information

Travel - International

AIR

Airzena Georgian Airlines (A9) (website: www.airzena.com), the national airline, operates regular flights from Athens, Frankfurt/M, Kiev, Moscow, Paris, Prague, Tel Aviv and Vienna.

International Airports

Tbilisi (TBS) is 18km (11 miles) east of Tbilisi city centre. To/from the airport: Mini-buses and taxis are available to the city centre (journey time – 30 minutes), state buses run throughout the day (website: www.airport-transfer.ge). Facilities: Bureaux de change, bars, restaurants, duty-free shops. In winter, power failures may affect the airport.

SEA

Main ports: Batumi and Poti. Batumi and Poti provide international connections with sea ports in Bulgaria, Ukraine and Russia.

RAIL

The Transcaucasian railway operates overnight services between Baku (Azerbaijan) and Yerevan (Armenia). The main line runs towards the Russian Federation through Georgia along the Black Sea coast.

The Silk Road Express also runs a service from Baku to Tbilisi.

War in the breakaway region of Abkhazia has adversely affected Georgia’s rail link with Russia, and it is currently not available.

ROAD

Access is from Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan via the Dariali Gorge. The Russia-Georgia checkpoint at Kazbegi (the Georgian Military Highway), Tskhinvali (the Roki Tunnel) and routes across the Georgian-Abkhaz boarder are currently closed.

Travel - Internal

AIR

Airzena Georgian Airlines (website: www.airzena.com) flies between Tbilisi and Butani, Kutaisi and Senaki.

RAIL

In total, Georgia has almost 1,600km (987 miles) of railway. The government has now restored order on the railway, which had suffered from fuel shortages, armed attacks on trains, sabotage of track and bridges, and there is now a fundamentally sound infrastructure. However, rail travel through the Russian border in the north and west is not possible owing to the conflict in Abkhazia and visitors are advised not to undertake long-distance rail travel. Rail passengers are advised to store their valuables in the compartment under the seat/bed and not to leave the compartment unattended. It is also a good idea to ensure the compartment door is secure from the inside by tying it closed with wire or strong cord. Reservations are required for all trains. There are two classes of trains, primarily distinguished by the comfort of the seats. Children under five years of age travel free and children from five to nine years of age pay half fare.

ROAD

Traffic drives on the right. Georgia has approximately 20,000km (12,428 miles) of asphalted roads, and there is an ambitious project to construct a motorway connecting the Black Sea ports to the border with Azerbaijan, passing through Tbilisi. Travellers attempting to drive around Georgia independently should be aware that it is difficult to buy fuel without highly specialised local knowledge and that an adequate supply of fuel should be obtained in Tbilisi beforehand. Also, reliable road maps or signposts do not exist.

Buses: These are in poor condition. Timetables frequently change and should not be relied upon.

Documentation: It is possible for holders of an EU licence to drive in Georgia but an International Driving Permit is required to hire a vehicle.

URBAN

Tbilisi is served by buses, trolleybuses, cable cars and a small underground system. The underground system has three lines and 16 stations. It is common practice to flag down official taxis, but fares should always be negotiated in advance, bearing in mind the likelihood that rates set for foreigners will be unreasonably high. In view of the rising crime rate, foreigners should take precautions before getting into a car, and it is generally safer to use officially marked red taxis which should not be shared with strangers. It is inadvisable to take a ride if there is already more than one person in the car.

Resorts & Excursions

Tbilisi

The capital of Georgia stands on the banks of the River Mtkvari, in a valley surrounded by hills. The name for the city derives from the word tbili (warm). It is best seen from the top of Mount Mtatsminda. With its warm climate, stone houses built around vine-draped courtyards, and winding streets, the city has a lively, Mediterranean atmosphere which was even present during the Soviet period. The old city, spreading out from the south bank of the river, has numerous frescoed churches (the most noteworthy being the sixth-century Sioni Cathedral), 19th-century houses with arcaded open galleries on the upper floors, a castle and a surprising number of cafés and enticing tourist shops selling locally produced arts and crafts. Prospekt Rustaveli, Tbilisi's main thoroughfare, features an assortment of stylish public buildings testifying to the city's prosperity at the turn of the century. The Georgian State Museum on Prospekt Rustaveli houses a collection of icons, frescoes and porcelain, as well as an outstanding display of jewellery discovered in pre-Christian Georgian tombs. The Georgian Museum of Arts, in the centre of town, includes many works by the much-loved 19th-century 'primitive' artist, Niko Pirosmani. The Narikala Fortress, first established by the Persians in the fourth century AD and most recently rebuilt in the 17th century, is a good vantage point for views over the old city. Visitors can still experiment with health-giving sulphur baths in a domed, oriental-style 19th-century bath house just north of the Metekhi Bridge. Popular with visitors today, Georgian sulphur baths were also frequented by writers such as Pushkin and Tolstoy. The open-air Museum of Ethnography, located in a western suburb, has interesting examples of rural buildings and artefacts. Davit Aghmashenebeli Prospekt is the base for the Georgian State Philharmonic Orchestra and the internationally known Georgian National Dance Troupe

The Caucasus

MTSKHETA: Located 20km (12 miles) to the northwest of Tbilisi, this town, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, predated Tbilisi as the capital of Ibera until the fifth century AD, and remained the centre of Georgian Christianity until the 12th century. The 15th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Pillar of Life), standing at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, was the holiest place in old Georgia. According to legend, the church is built on the spot where Christ's crucifixion robe was dropped to the ground in AD 328, having been brought from Jerusalem by a local Jew, and fragments of the robe are said to be kept inside the cathedral. The existing church has some impressive royal tombs, a fine icon stand and distinctive carved decoration, including bulls' heads and semi-pagan fertility symbols. Also of interest are the Samtavro Monastery (still functioning although founded in the 11th century, it is famous as the burial place for the first Christian king, Mirian and his wife Nana) and the sixth-century Jvari Cathedral, the design of which became a prototype for Georgian ecclesiastical architecture

GEORGIAN MILITARY HIGHWAY: Leading 220km (137 miles) from Tbilisi to Vladikavkaz (formerly Ordzhonikidze) in North Ossetia (now part of the Russian Federation), this route was built by the Russians in the 19th century to help them control their conquered Georgian territories. The road winds through the dramatic mountain scenery of the high Caucasus, apparently little changed since the 19th-century novelist Lermontov described the route in 'A Hero of our Time'. Sites of interest along the road include the 14th-century Tsminda Sameba (Holy Trinity) Church, overlooking the mountain town of Kazbegi, and the city of Mtskheta (see above)

GORI: The birthplace of Iosif Dzhugashvili, better known to the world as Stalin, lies 95km (59 miles) west of Tbilisi. The town has the last surviving public statue of Stalin in the former USSR, as well as a park and a museum devoted to Stalinist hagiography. The latter has been 'temporarily' closed for several years, ostensibly for renovation, but more probably to give the curators pause to decide how to display their exhibition in view of prevailing attitudes to the local hero. It also contains the ruins of a 12th-century fortress and a 16th-century church dedicated to St George

Excursions: Some 10km (6 miles) east of Gori is Uplistsikhe (Fortress of God), a large complex of natural caves. Inhabited from the sixth century BC to the 14th century AD, the caves were gradually transformed into increasingly sophisticated dwellings, shops and public buildings, including the most ancient theatre in Georgia, dungeons and enormous wine cellars. The Ateni Sioni Church, 10km (6 miles) south of Gori, stands in a beautiful setting and is highly prized for its 11th-century stonecarvings and frescoes

TORI: The spa town of Bordzhomi, 150km (93 miles) west of Tbilisi in the Tori region, produces much acclaimed mineral water. It is possible to hike in the surrounding hills. Bakuriani is located 29km (18 miles) southeast of Bordzhomi at an altitude of 1700m (5580ft). Before the current breakdown of order, Georgian tourist authorities were working to promote the studarui on the Georgian Military Highway as an international ski resort, proclaiming its clean air, uncrowded slopes and marvellous setting. There is a luxury hotel complex run by the same company that owns the Metekhi Palace in Tbilisi. 10km (6 miles) from Bakuriani, heading towards Bordzhomi, is the 12th-century Daba Monastery, and nearby a 60m (197ft) waterfall. During the summer it is also possible to visit Lake Tabatskuri, sunk into a hollow high in the mountain

Black Sea Coast

BATUMI: A seaside resort and port in the southwest of the republic, Batumi is the capital of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic. Close to the Turkish border (20km/12.5 miles) away, the town has a decidedly Turkish character, with a mosque and 19th-century bath house. However, its charm lies less in any particular sights than in its lush, subtropical setting, among citrus groves and tea plantations, with mountains rising up from the edge of the sea. The Ajarian Museum (with its superb national costume collection), the circus, park, Botanical Garden and the theatre are also well worth visiting

SUKHUMI: The capital of Abkhazia, in the far northwest of Georgia, was until recently a relaxed, sunny port/resort, renowned for its beaches fringed with palms and eucalyptus trees, lively open-air cafés and cosmopolitan population. The ruined 11th-century Castle of the Georgian Bagratid King, the Botanical Gardens, Shroma Cave with its amazing stalactites and stalagmites and the monkey-breeding farm were particular favourites among visitors. Abkhaz, Georgians, Greeks, Russians, Turks and others lived here in apparent harmony until recent years when the city was overtaken by civil war and thousands of refugees fled