Kutaisi is the capital of the Imereti region and the second largest city in Georgia. It is located on the bank of the Rioni River in the central part of Georgia. The capital of Georgia, the city of Tbilisi, is located 230 kilometers to the east. There is a high-speed autobahn from Tbilisi to Borjomi, from Borjomi to Kutaisi you need to go along the old road through the mountains.
There are many cultural and historical attractions in Kutaisi and its surroundings. Here you can spend several days making short-term excursions to a distance within 50 kilometers from the city.
The most interesting sights of Kutaisi are the Gelati Monastery and the Bagrati Temple. The Gelati Monastery has been the spiritual center of Georgia for several centuries. It is located 12 kilometers northeast of the center of Kutaisi. The huge Bagrati Temple is located on a mountain above the historical center of Kutaisi, on the right bank of the Rioni.
David Agmashenebeli Square is located in the historical center of Kutaisi. Here you can see an interesting cascade Colchis fountain. There are many enlarged figures of animals on it, which were found during the excavations of ancient Colchian cities, in the vicinity of Kutaisi. The Kutaisi Lado Meskhishvili Theater is located on the square. A large park area "Boulevard" adjoins the square.
From the Boulevard you need to go down to the bank of the Rioni River. Here you can see the authentic atmosphere of the old town, as well as the rocky banks of the river. The opposite bank of the river is quite high, and the Bessarion Park is located on it. You need to go up there by Cable car. The lower station of the funicular is located near the White Bridge on the bank of the Rioni River. There is also the Royal Quarter and the Jewish Quarter – the most interesting places of the old city of Kutaisi.
The Kutaisi Botanical Garden is located near the Bagrati Temple on the right bank of the Rioni.
Kutaisi outside
There are many interesting sights in the vicinity of Kutaisi, but you need a car to visit them. If you want to see the sights in detail in the vicinity of Kutaisi, then it is better to settle not in Kutaisi itself, but in the balneological resort of Tskaltubo. It is located 12 kilometers northwest of Kutaisi.
Tskaltubo resort is an interesting location for tourists. In Soviet times, it was the largest balneological resort in the USSR. There were monumental sanatoriums in the style of the Stalinist Empire. Nowadays, alas, they are in a dilapidated state. Tourists come to Tskaltubo to take radon baths, which help in the treatment of many diseases.
Prometheus Cave and Sataplia Nature Reserve are located in the immediate vicinity of Kutaisi and Tskaltubo. Longer trips will be an excursion to Okatse Canyon and to the Kinchkha Waterfalls. They are located 40 kilometers from Kutaisi. The same long trip will be an excursion to the Martville Canyon.
