Georgia is a country that you can discover repeatedly. Amazing nature (mountains, forests, sea), interesting historical sites, hospitable locals — all this attracts tourists here. You can go to Georgia at any time of the year: there is always something to do here. Spring and autumn are most suitable for excursions and sightseeing, when the weather is warm, but not hot, and it rarely rains. What to see in Georgia? Where to rent a reliable car? Here is just a small list of interesting places and the company to rent a vehicle from.
Car Rental in Tbilisi
You can travel around Georgia using public transport but it will be much more comfortable to rent car in Tbilisi I can suggest a good car rental company, which owns highly reliable vehicles at a reasonable cost – GSS Car Rental. You can visit their website and book a car online in minutes.
Sights of Georgia – Old City of Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the heart of the country, and therefore everyone should come here. This city is becoming more and more Europeanized, but its historical part, called the Old City of Tbilisi, retains its unique flavor. Here you can wander for hours through the narrow winding streets, looking at old buildings in which different styles and architectural trends are bizarrely mixed.
If you take a chance and get further away, in the part where tourists usually do not go, you can see already abandoned buildings, as well as completely dilapidated houses in which people live today.
You can admire the panoramic view of Tbilisi from a special observation deck, which is located in Mtatsminda Park. From here, you can see the famous sulfur baths, the Peace Bridge over the Kura, the Sameba Cathedral, and parliament building.
In the Old Town, there are the oldest church of Anchiskhati, interesting sculptures, squares and parks, the waterfall of Legvtakhevi and fortress of Narikala.
Narikala Fortress
This is one of the most famous sights of Georgia. It is located on a hill, on Mtatsminda Mountain, and throughout its history (and it is very long, at least since the 4th century, to which the first mention of it belongs) it has been destroyed and rebuilt more than once. The name of the fortress translates as “impregnable”: it is surrounded by high cliffs on three sides, and the fourth is fenced with masonry. The fortress has long served as a defensive structure, and today it has become a real business card of the Georgian capital.
You can get to Narikala by bus, on foot or by cable car. It is worth coming here to admire the panoramic views and to see the center of Tbilisi from the observation deck. During a walk to the fortress, you can visit Orthodox monasteries — Lower and Upper Bethlehem, as well as take a look at the statue of Mother Georgia.
Metekhi (Tbilisi)
This district of Tbilisi, located on the banks of the Kura River, is the oldest in the Georgian capital, its history began in the 5th century AD. Here, in the historical center of the city, there are many ancient buildings, the most important of which is the Metekhi Temple, built in the 12th century. It is located on a rock, and therefore perfectly visible from any angle. From the cliff, in turn, an amazing view of Tbilisi opens.
Historians believe that once there was a palace of the founder of the city Vakhtang Gorgasal, which was destroyed during the Mongol-Tatar attacks. A temple was subsequently built in its place.
There are also other attractions in this area, for example, the monument to the founder of the Georgian capital, the grave of Saint Shushanik, the Metekhi Bridge.
Bridge of Peace (Tbilisi)
This is one of the modern sights of Georgia. The Peace Bridge connecting the banks of the Kura River was built in 2010. It looks very unusual and is a bizarre structure made of steel and glass. It is best to come here in the evening, when 30 thousand light bulbs that make up a single light system light up. Interestingly, they do not just burn, but blink, Morse code transmitting the names of the chemical elements that make up the human body.
The length of the pedestrian bridge is 156 meters, it connects history and modernity: the Old City of Tbilisi and Rike Park, which was built recently. The bridge symbolizes the path of the country from its past to a bright future.
Mtskheta city (20 km from Tbilisi)
Mtskheta, the first capital of the country, is considered to be the real soul of Georgia and a real “second Jerusalem”. There are more historically significant places here than in any other region of Georgia. For example, here is located the Javari monastery, which is described in Lermontov’s poem “Mtsyri”.
Mtskheta is located near Tbilisi in a beautiful place surrounded by mountains, where the waters of the Kura and Aragvi merge. Its history is measured not by centuries, but by millennia.
This is a real stronghold of Orthodoxy. Svetitskhoveli Church was built here in the 11th century, the majestic view of which still surprises and pleases tourists. The temple is beautiful both from the outside and from the inside thanks to carved stone ornaments, frescoes, ancient icons, painted columns and vaults.
The main shrine to which pilgrims from all over the world go is the Life Giving Pillar (after which the church is named), in which the chiton of Christ is kept. If you rent car in Tbilisi you will be able to get to Mtskheta шт about 20 minutes.
Vardzia (south of Georgia, border with Turkey)
This cave city is not so easy to get to, but it is worth visiting anyway. It was carved into the rocks of Mount Erusheti in the 12th-13th centuries at an altitude of 1.3 km above sea level. There were about 600 rooms in the multi-level cave city, arranged in several tiers (from 3 to 13). These are cells, churches, chapels, warehouses, cellars, stables, refectories, baths, libraries connected by tunnels, streets and stairs.
The length of the complex is up to 50 meters deep and up to 900 meters long. Its central church — the Assumption — was built under Queen Tamara and is famous for its frescoes.
The cave city was intended to protect against attacks from the southern border of Georgia. It served as a safe haven that could accommodate up to 20 thousand people. Today it is a museum-reserve, and several novices of the monastery also live here permanently.
Svan Towers (Svaneti mountain region)
An interesting attraction in the north-west of Georgia, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Their purpose is not exactly known. Perhaps they were used to protect homes during avalanches or served as defensive structures. Or maybe they were intended to warn of danger: on the main tower, which was visible from all sides, they lit a fire, noticing which, civilians hid, and the troops were preparing for the battle.
Stone towers were built, or rather, those of them that have survived today, were built in the 8th-13th centuries, and manually. They are earthquake resistant due to the masonry at the base. Each of them has from 3 to 5 floors, sometimes 6, the height is 20-28 meters. Wooden stairs are laid between the floors.
Today, the Svan Towers serve only as a historical monument and are not used in any way. Perhaps some of them will be equipped with places for tourists to stay in the future.
Dadiani Palace (Zugdidi)
Dadiani Palace is located in the west of Georgia, near the Black Sea coast (at a distance of 30 kilometers). It was built in the 19th century and for a long period of time served as the main residence belonging to the Megrelian rulers. The palace immediately attracts attention with its majestic and spectacular architecture, in which national Georgian motifs are clearly traced.
Today there is a museum with a rich collection, which includes more than 44 thousand exhibits: weapons, icons, manuscripts, dishes, Christian relics, paintings, photographs, antique golden mask. The highlight of the collection is the Napoleon death mask, which was here because the Dadiani princes had family ties with the French emperor.
In the park area of the palace there is a botanical garden, which contains plants from different parts of the earth.
There are many more interesting places to visit in Georgia, so just Rent car in Tbilisi and take your trip!
