Rike Park is located on the right bank of the Kura River. On the opposite bank of the Kura River is located the Old Town of Tbilisi. The park was created in 2010, and now it is the starting point of most tourist routes in the old town. There is also the lower station of the cable car, which you can use for climbing to the Narikala fortress.
Previously, there was a sandy island on the site of Rike Park. Where the river flows now there was a secondary channel, and the main channel of the Kura flowed in the right side of the Rike. Later, the riverbed changed course, and the right arm became shallow. At this place, a lowland was formed, covered with sand and silt. The word "Rike" in Georgian means "Sands". For a long time it was not developed, but in the 19th century Rike began to be actively built up.
In 2010, a program for the restoration of the historical center of the city was adopted in Tbilisi. The soil in this lowland was strengthened and the Rike Park was laid out. The Old Town and the park were connected by a glass Bridge of Peace. Thanks to this, it was possible to create a single pedestrian zone, inside which there are many interesting sights of the Georgian capital.
Rike Park is an art space, a symbol of the renewed Georgia. The city authorities decided on an experiment, which some residents initially accepted with disapproval, in much the same way as the residents of Paris did not accept the Eiffel Tower, but then they got used to it, and now it is impossible to imagine Paris without it. In Rike Park, the city authorities have arranged traditional alleys among trees and flowers, as well as art objects. However, in addition to them, huge metal and glass constructions were installed in the park, which at first glance absolutely do not correspond to the style and spirit of the old city. We are talking about two giant pipes, similar to the tentacles of an octopus, and a spectacular glass Bridge of Peace, which connects Rike Park with the old town on the left bank of the Kura.
It was planned to place a Cultural Center in the glass pipes. There will be a Drama and Music Theater, as well as an exhibition hall. While the construction is frozen and there is no information when the Cultural Center in Rike Park will open. The Glass Bridge of Peace looks very beautiful, especially in the evening when the backlight turns on. Now the residents of Tbilisi are used to these objects, and tourists like them.
Rike Park is a favorite place for evening walks for tourists and residents of the city. All the objects of the park are beautifully illuminated, there are many restaurants in the vicinity, many sights of the Old Town are in close proximity. Near Europe Square, there is a Lower Station of the cable car, where you can climb to the Narikala Fortress or the Mother-Georgia Monument.
