Three Days in Tbilisi, Georgia

Established in 479 A.D, the 1,500 year-old city of Tbilisi is an urban tourist's paradise, offering a taste of Georgian culture, history, and vibrant nightlife.

Strategically situated in the in the central Caucasus region, Tbilisi is sometimes considered a gateway between eastern Europe and western Asia. As a result, Tbilisi experienced a turbulent history, often the target of rivals and ambitious empires. Ancient, medieval, and modern empires gained control of Tbilisi at various points in the city's history, resulting in an unique and fascinating urban cultural landscape.

Touring modern-day Tbilisi was an exiting experience.  The city is always bustling with activity, especially at night. During our brief tour, we tried several traditional Georgian dishes, visited Old Town, took a night stroll along Shota Rustavelli Avenue, and walked the grounds of Holy Trinity Cathedral.

A dramatic view of Tbilisi from Narikala fortress. Narikala fortress can be reached either by climbing the staircase up the foothill, or take the cable car for 2 Lira ($0.87) per person.

The old bell tower located at the Narikala fortress, with a great view of Tbilisi.

Freedom Square.

Georgian Parliament building, along Shota Rustavelli Ave.

Looking down Shota Rustavelli Ave. walking away from Freedom Square. Shota Rustavelli Ave. is a very lively street, with many people, shops, and cafes. It is also a good street to view Georgian architecture.

Walking along the streets in the older part of Tbilisi, we noticed many of these small alleyways. Some were very dark and foreboding, while others were well lit, featuring small shops and coffee houses. They are at least worth peeking at.

Flea market along Shota Rustavelli Ave.

Graffiti in English was a regular occurrence in Tbilisi. Like the graffiti pictured above, much of it was in the form of social or political statements.

Dark pedestrian underpasses were a common feature in Tbilisi. We finally worked up the courage to use them to cross busy intersections and rotaries. They were not lit, and had a strong stench of urine. But, we passed through multiple times without incident. I guess that Tbilisians are aware of how uninviting these underpasses are, judging by the graffiti on the right in this image.

Imeretian Khachapuri is similar to pizza in shape, but different in other ways. Several types of cheese are piled on, and all are very rich in flavor. Some of the cheese is very oily, almost to the point of being liquid. It is very delicious, but filled us up fast due to its richness.

 Khinkali (dumplings). A plain, but very tasty dish. Khinkali can be stuffed with various fillings, including spiced meat, herbs and onions, mushrooms, cheese, or potato. The Khinkali here was stuffed with potato, which had somewhat of a spicy kick to it.

Adjarian Khachapuri is served as a dough formed into a shape of a "boat," then filled with what looked like a stick of butter, and topped with a raw egg. The heat of the freshly baked bread cooks the egg. When eating, you are supposed to mix everything together inside. We did not know to do this, so we just dug in with our forks. It was still very tasty.

A view of the the Kura River, standing on the Bridge of Peace, with old Tbilisi and the Narikala fortress in the background.

Old Tbilisi.

Hidden in the corner of Old Town, we found a creek that leads to a waterfall.

Old Tbilisi is both the tourist and historical center of Tbilisi. There is much to see and do, but many of the shops and restaurants specifically cater to tourists. As a result, some aura of authenticity is lost, as well as  generally higher prices for meals at restaurants. However, Old Tbilisi was still well worth the visit.

Holy Trinity Cathedral, also known as Sameba, was completed in 2004. It is the third-tallest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the world.The cathedral is constructed in the classic Georgian style, and is viewed by some as a symbol of Georgian national revival.

The height of the cathedral was impressive. Up close, the cathedral give the impression that it is towering above you.

Looking away from the cathedral.

The Holy Trinity Cathedral is an impressive sight at night, and can be seen from many points in the city.

A section of the dry bridge market, just off the main boulevard. The dry bridge markets consists of a large number of sellers and artists in small make-shift booths. Some are set up in semi-permanent structures such as pictured above, but many simply find a spot on the sidewalk and the public square, and display their items for sale on a blanket or carpet on the ground.

The dry bridge market is similar to a flea market in the United States. Just about every used item one could think of can be found here, in almost any category. For those interested, there is a variety of soviet-era items for sale; everything from watches, pamphlets, uniforms, and money. However, the shopper should take caution. Some items may not be authentic. For example, one seller told me a particular watch I took interest in was "soviet." It did have Russian letters on the face, but it said in English: "Made in USSR," which made me skeptical that it was real. One must also be careful that a particular item is not broken.

More of the dry bridge market.

A small group of Georgians enjoying a board game along the dry Bridge market street.