In Tbilisi, every door opens to a world that will fascinate you. The lace-like staircases and peeling plaster of the buildings built by Italian, Russian, German, Armenian and French masters and architects whisper to you the beauties of the past. I have compiled the Must-See Places in Tbilisi and their details for you 🙂
If you discover beautiful places, let me know in the comments 🙂
If you haven’t read the Tbilisi Travel Diaries Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 articles, I recommend you read them 🙂
FABRIKA TBILISI
Factory Tbilisi, a Soviet-era sewing factory, has been transformed into an incredible complex thanks to the country’s visionary tourism company. Far from the classic hostel concept, Factory is a place that must be discovered (even without accommodation) with its concept shops, bars, and cafes. It is among the must-see places to socialize in Tbilisi.
You should see the street art examples in its large courtyard, and its huge lobby connects the past and the present with photographs from the old factory era. Friday and Saturday evenings are very lively at the factory.
Bonus: Eat a burger at Pipes Burger (absolutely delicious!), drink coffee at Milk, or have a cocktail at the neon-lit bar at night.
You can visit the website of Fabrika Tbilisi to get more detailed information about it.
HOTEL LONDON
Travel back in time in one of the most famous hotels of the 19th century…
Architect Siemens built the Hotel London in 1875 at the request of the Zubalashvili family. Later, the hotel was owned by the Richters family. Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun, Russian composer Tchaikovsky, and dozens of other famous people stayed at this hotel. During Knut Hamsun’s trip to Georgia with his wife in 1899, he referred to Hotel Londan as “a journey to a fairy tale.”.
Hotel London was also the first building in Georgia to use electricity.
All the guests admired the Richters’ daughter, Ekaterine Carl. Since the hotel has a very friendly atmosphere, guests leave this place with unforgettable memories. The hotel was always full due to its quality service approach and unique design. At that time, all staff spoke different foreign languages. Since the hotel offers delicious tastes of Georgian and European cuisine, it hosts many people for dinner besides its guests.
The most attractive part of the hotel is the entrance hall and stairs. All stairs are made of luxurious Italian marble, and their railings were brought from Germany. There used to be a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the main hall. Guests also liked to read foreign magazines and play the white piano, which was placed at a special table in the hotel.
Today, the building cannot be said to be very well preserved. There are even people living on the upper floors. Visit Hotel London without disturbing anyone; You can see the stairs to the main hall, which is still as attractive as the first day. If you like history and architecture, it is definitely one of the places worth seeing 🙂 You can be sure that the front door, which is always open, will drag you into another world. Address: Dry Bridge, 31 Atoneli St.
Bonus: Knut Hamsun (1920 Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian writer) is known for his book Hunger. Here’s a couple from there… Even if a person is not crazy, they can have a sensitive heart. Well, there are those who think little things keep them alive, and a harsh word kills them. That’s just me. The point is this: My poverty has sharpened some of my qualities to such an extent that they cause me trouble. Yes, what a solution this is! But it also has its benefits; in some cases, they help me. The poor intellectual sees much more clearly than the rich intellectual. The poor man looks around with every step he takes, listens suspiciously to every word spoken by people; Each step thus imposes a task on his thoughts and feelings. His ears are pierced, his senses are thin, he is experienced, and his soul is full of burn wounds…”
OLD CABLEWAY STATION
One of the oldest and most beautiful cable cars is located in the garden of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences on Rustavelli Street in Tbilisi. Although the cable car has not been operating for more than twenty years, this unique building has become iconic for Tbilisi citizens.
Restoration work will begin soon. After the restoration, the cable cars will take passengers from Rustaveli Street to the top of Mtatsminda (Holy Mountain) in 4 minutes.
APOLLO CINEMA
A beautiful example of Art Nouveau, built in Tbilisi in 1909. Apollo, which continued to be used as a cinema during the Soviet period, is an architectural monument of national importance. It had been privately owned for several years but was still neglected and not maintained.
In February 2020, Tbilisi City Council started working on the rehabilitation of buildings on David Agmashenebeli Street, and Apollo was among them 🙂 I hope it will be opened to public use in its renewed form in a short time.
A beautiful example of Art Nouveau, built in Tbilisi in 1909. Apollo, which continued to be used as a cinema during the Soviet period, is an architectural monument of national importance. It had been privately owned for several years but was still neglected and not maintained.
GALLERY 27 (KALEIDOSCOPE HOUSE)
The building of Gallery 27, a traditional Georgian structure unlike Tbilisi, where Art Nouveau dominates. It appears before you in the narrow winding streets of Old Tbilisi. The most striking part is the stained glass windows 🙂 It is definitely among the must-see places in Tbilisi…
Stained glass is the name of glass in different colors found in master hands and meeting with light. Stained glass art requires creativity rather than artistic training because it has a visual richness 🙂
THE CHRONICLE OF GEORGIA
It is a monument located near the Tbilisi Sea. It was designed and built by Zurab Tsereteli in 1985, but it was not fully completed.
The monument, which chronicles the history of Georgia, sits at the top of a wide set of stairs. While there are kings, queens, and heroes on the upper parts of the 16 columns, which are 30-35 meters tall, stories from the life of Christ are depicted in the lower parts.
It caught my eye while I was looking for a place on the map. The structure is not well known by Georgians. Personally, I was impressed and wished that such magnificent structures were built in all countries too.
