Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park

Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park (also know as ბორჯომ-ხარაგაულის ეროვნული პარკი in Georgian) is a 1,093 km² park situated in the Lesser Caucasus in Georgia, between the regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Imereti. It covers more than the 1% of the Georgian territory. Its particular uniqueness is diversity of geographical and ecological zones, landscapes, historical monuments and rich flora and fauna. The park has rapidly developing tourist infrastructure, mainly focused around Borjomi (a very popular spa resort).

How do I arrive to Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park?

  Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is quite well communicated because of the importance that Borjomi has.

• Train: there are slow trains from Borjomi for Gori (aprox. 4 hours) or Tbilisi (aprox. 5 hours), plus the scenic narrow gauge kukushka train from Borjomi to Bakuriani (aprox. 2 hours 30 minutes).
  
• Bus: there are marshrutkas departing from Borjomi's bus station to destinations such as Khashuri (aprox. 30 minutes), Bakuriani (aprox. 1 hour), Akhaltsikhe (aprox. 1 hour), Gori (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes), Tbilisi (aprox. 3 hours) or Batumi (aprox. 5 hours). From Bakuriani there are also marshrutkas to Kutaisi (aprox. 3 hours), Tbilisi (aprox. 4 hours) or Batumi (aprox. 5 hours).
• Car: the main entrance to Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is via Borjomi, that can be reached from places such as Khaskuri (aprox. 30 minutes), Bakuriani (aprox. 35 minutes), Akhaltsikhe (aprox. 55 minutes), Gori (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes), Kharagauli (aprox. 1 hour 50 minutes), Tbilisi (aprox. 2 hours 20 minutes) or Kutaisi (aprox. 2 hours 25 minutes).

  Once in the Park the best ways to move around the park are the car or simply hiking.  

History

The history of the park dates back to Medieval times when it was used primarily by the local aristocracy for hunting. When Georgia lost its independence and became part of the Russian Empire, the Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich was given the post of Governor General of Transcaucasia. He found the local beauty of the Borjomi park so impressive that decided to build his personal summer residence there. Noticeable changes to the park came when the Grand Duke Michael restricted any lumbering or hunting without permission, thus laying the foundation for the park's future. In 1995, the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park was endorsed and created with the support of the NGO World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the German government, and was officially inaugurated in 2001.

What can I visit in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park?

  Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park provides the perfect chance to get out into the landscape of the ranges of the Lesser Caucasus (less well known and much lower than Great Caucasus). The visitor has to register in the visitor centers before entering the national park. Most trails are accessible from May to Oct or Nov. Now it will be explained what to do in the park according to the town or village where they are or the nearest one:    

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  Bridge over Borjomula river
  

  Borjomi (ბორჯომი in Georgian, Боржоми in Russian): 10,546 inhabitants resort town by Kura and Borjumula rivers in the north of the region of Samtskhe-Javakheti, totally surrounded by thickly forested hills. Borjomi mineral water is very popular, particularly well known in former Soviet Union countries, with mineral water industry being the number one export of Georgia.
  

  • Borjomi Central Park (10-23; 2₾/ 1₾  adults/ students): mineral water park that dates back to 1850, including the town's original mineral water source,

    

    Borjomi Central Park
    

    Ekaterina Spring. The rest of the park is full of rides and entertainments by river Kura. The water of the mineral springs of the area are supposed to have curative powers, being therefore a frequent destination for people with health problems.
    
  • Borjomi Plateau: spot where getting spectacular views over the town, some walking into the pine woods or trying Ferris wheel. It's connected with Borjomi Central Park with a cable car (10-20; 5₾ one way).
  • Borjomi Museum (10-19 from Jun to Sep; 10-17 from Oct to May; 

    

    Cable car to Borjomi Plateau
    

    3₾): small museum that shows the history and importance in Georgia of Borjomi. It has some interesting objects and furniture that belonged to Romanov Palace.
  • Ruins of Gogia Fortress: remains of the fortress, first mentioned in the 16th century that belonged to the rulers of Borjomi, the Avalishvilis. It was destroyed by the constant attacks of Lezgians. From here the visitor gets views of Borjomi.
    
  • Borjomi Mineral Water Bottling Factory: famous water plant embotted plant mineral. It can be requested a visit, to learn more about the embellishment process (in which the water that from the fountain, at 35°C, inflow at -8°C). The factory approximately produces 600,000 bottles a day.
    

    

    Borjomi Sulfur Pools
    

  • Borjomi Administration and Visitor Center (9-18 Mon-Fri, 9-16 Sat-Sun): office where getting registered to get into the national park and getting some information about the area. Close there's National Park Information Trail (2.1 km), a short trail around the office.
    
  • Only 3 km far from Borjomi Central Park it will be found Borjomi Sulfur Pools (5₾), a group of small, spring-fed swimming pools with a temperature around 27°C. In case of wanting to try one of the spas of Borjomi, the most recommended ones are Hotel Borjomis Kheoba (Shota Rustaveli 107a) or Hotel Firuza (Baratashvili 3).
    
• Around Borjomi the visitor can discover some interesting sights. One of them is St. Giorgi Georgian Orthodox Church in Daba, one of the oldest and strongest shrines in Georgia. The church was built in the 14th century, during the reign of king George V the Brilliant

  

  Timotesubani Monastery
  

  . Further is located Tori Georgian Orthodox Church, a hall-type built in the late-10th century that has three relief crosses. Currently it's falling into disrepair. But the main sight in this direction is Timotesubani Monastery, a medieval monastic complex that consists of a series of structures built between the 11th and 18th centuries. Its main church is the largest and artistically most exquisite constructed under Queen Tamar. This domed church built of pink stone has an interior with plenty of frescoes from the 13th century, noted for their vivacity and complexity.
  

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  Romanov Palace
  

  Likani (ლიკანი in Georgian, Ликани in Russian): settlement in the Borjomi Gorge that is a popular mountain spa.
  
  • Romanov Palace: Neo-Moorish style palace designed by Leon Benois in the 1890s for Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia. The first hydroelectric power station in the Russian Empire was built in 1898 to illuminate this summer palace. In Soviet times, some of the main leaders of the USSR (including Joseph Stalin) often rested here and currently it serves as an official residence of the President of Georgia.
  • Ruins of Likani Monastery: remains of a medieval monastery complex from the 16th century.

    

    Mtsvane Monastery and Bell Tower
    

  • Likani Park: elegant imperial park with sanatoriums. It is worth taking a walk through this lugary place to observe some magnificent dachas. 
  • Close to Likani it can be visited Mtsvane Monastery, also known as the Green Monastery, that consists of a three-nave basilica dated to the 9th-10th centuries. There's also Mtsvane Monastery Bell Tower, a two-storey bell-tower from the 15th-16th centuries. It was abandoned for more than 200 years, restored to Christian use in 2003.
    
  • From Likani there are three routes than the visitor can take. One of them is Nikoloz Romanov Route (29 km), a hike through coniferous, Colchic sub-tropical and mixed forest that provide scenic viewpoints with scenery of Lesser Caucasus (it's possible to sleep at Lomismta Shelter); another one is Snow Shoe Trail (14.8 km), round-trip that goes through panoramic views along coniferous forest. The third route is Shepherds' Route (42.1 km), that reaches most of the area of the national park.
    

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  Mariamtsminda

  Another of the trails departing from Likani is Nakvalevi Trail (15 km) that reaches Mariamtsminda. It's a medieval Georgian Orthodox church constructed in the 8th-9th century on a high rocky mountain slope. It is known for its 12th–13th-century fresco portrait of the young nobleman named Shota, who is popularly believed to be the contemporaneous epic poet Shota Rustaveli (who penned the epic Knight in the Panther's Skin).
  
• There are other hikes further south from Borjomi. The longest of those ones is St. Andrew Route (50.8 km), that goes from Atskuri to the part of Imereti of the national park. The visitor can stop and sleep while taking this route in the following refuges: Amarati Shelter, Sametskhvario Shelter and Sakhvlari Shelter. From this latter shelter it can be done Meghruki Gorge Trail (2.5 km), in which the visitor can explore Meghruki Gorge.
  

  

  Atskuri Fortress
  

• Driving 30 km far from Borjomi there's Atskuri (in Georgian), 1,539 inhabitants small town, known because Atskuri Fortress, ruins of a fortress on the bank of Kura River, that was built in the 9th century and was an important stronghold for the defense of Georgia during the Middle ages, damaged by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. The town has another ruined structure, the Ruins of Atskuri Church, that was one of the largest cathedrals in Georgia in its time. Today only the ruined walls survived into the 21st century and a project of full restoration was launched in 2016. Close to Atskuri is Bieti Georgian Orthodox Church, a ruined church that dates to the late-14th century, whose dome collapsed and only the conch of the sanctuary and pastophoria remained standing (its reconstruction began in 2019).
  
• In the western part of the national park it can be hiked Zekari Overpass Route (25.9 km), a route into Colchic sub-tropical forest. While going north from Borjomi it can be walked Untouched Forest Trail (11.4 km), a trail along a virgin forest.
  

  

  Nedzvi Managed Reserve
  

• In this area it's also located Nedzvi Managed Reserve, a 90 km² reserve that has Caucasus mixed forests that was created to protect and keep the lynx. The reserve has also an important Christian heritage with buildings like (9th-10th century church that is considered to be the Kviriketsmid Monastery founded by Christopher (disciple of Gregory of Khandzta) in the 940s) or Ruins of Nedzvi Basilica (ruined 9th century monastery complex founded by a student of St. Gregory of Khandzta).
• Kharagauli (ხარაგაული in Georgian): 1,965 inhabitants town, in the region of Imereti, located in a narrow and deep gorge on both banks of Chkherimela river. It was founded as a railway station in the 1870s.
  

  

  Ruins of Chkheri Castle
  

  • Kharagauli Administration and Visitor Center (9-18 Mon-Fri, 9-16 Sat-Sun): office where getting registered to get into the national park and getting some information about the area.
  • Ruins of Chkheri Castle: remains of a medieval fortress built in the 15th-17th centuries, located on a high and rocky mountain. It belonged to the Abashidze feudal family, handed in 1762 to king Solomon I of Imereti. When Imereti uprising against the Russian domination took place, the Russians destroyed the fortress.
    

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    Frescoes at Ubisi Monastery
    

    From Kharagauli the visitor can go to the small village of Ubisi (უბისა in Georgian). The settlement is closely linked to Ubisi Monastery. The monastic complex comprises a 9th century monastery founded by St. Gregory of Khandzta, a 4-floor tower whose construction dates back to 1141, fragments of a 12th-century defensive wall and several other buildings and structures. The monastery has an impressing and unique cycle of murals from the late-14th century by Damiane, quite influenced by the Byzantine Palaiologan period art. It's also known because of the honey that is produced here.
    

Bakuriani in winter

Only 25 km far from Borjomi, in the heart of the region of Samtskhe-Javakheti, it can be visited Bakuriani (ბაკურიანი in Georgian). This ski-resort town with 1,879 inhabitants is the cheapest and most family-oriented of its kind in Georgia (ski season lasts from mid-Dec to Mar), being popular mountain walks in summer too. It used to have a rustic mountain-village vibe but the boom of tourism is eroding it. Main ski zones are Kokhta Gora (lifts: 10-21:30 from mid-Dec to Mar, 11-18 from Jul to Aug; 40₾/ 25₾  adults/ students  per day), a zone on the slopes of Mt. Kokhta (2,157m high), and Didveli (lifts: 10-21:30 from mid-Dec to Mar, 11-18 from Jul to Aug; 40₾/ 25₾  adults/ students  per day), zone with 16km of pistes of blue, red and black runs.

 

Tsromi Georgian Orthodox Church

On the way to Gori from Borjomi, 30 km far from the latter, the visitor can stop at Khashuri (ხაშური in Georgian), a town with 26,135 inhabitants (9th largest in Georgia) by river Suramula in Shida Kartli. It was founded in 1872 around a railway station, and Stalin's family came from here. The main things to see here are Khashuri Tower (18th century three-storied defensive tower that belonged to the Khidirbegishvilis), St. Nikolozis Georgian Orthodox Church or Khashuri Church, some 19th century churches. Close to the road that connects Gori and Khashuri it can be visited some interesting sightseeing points such as Ioane Natlismtsemlis Georgian Orthodox Church in Khtsisi (church that was built in times of Bagrat III, considered one of the best samples of one-nave churches that has rich ornaments and bas-relieves with animal figures) or Samtsevrisi Georgian Orthodox Church (7th century small dome church in free-cross design whose decorations consist in pommels and cornices around windows).

Kirtsvisi Archangel

But without doubt the highlights in this road route are Tsromi Georgian Orthodox Church and Kintsvisi Monastery. Tsromi Georgian Orthodox Church is 7th century domed church built during the reign of Stephen II of Iberia, representing a beautiful monument of Georgian architecture (whose artistic importance can be compared with Jvari Monastery in Mtskheta). The exterior is modestly decorated and fortified, having an austere interior decoration. Kintsvisi Monastery is a complex located on a forested slope of a high mountain of the Dzama valley whose main church dates back to the 13th century. Its an exceptional example from the Georgian Golden Age period and the monumental mural is one of the largest among the Medieval Georgian artistic ensembles. They represent scenes from the New Testament (particularly remarkable is the so-called Kintsvisi Archangel), as well as portraits of Georgian kings Giorgi III, Tamar and Giorgi IV Lasha.

Cityscape of Surami

Turning off in Khashuri, 8 km far from the town, it can be visited Surami (სურამი in Georgian). This 7,492 inhabitants town, in the border between Imereti and Shida Kartli, is a popular mountain resort that has some things that make it worth a visit. Here it can be seen the Ruins of Surami Fortress, a medieval fortress that is an important work of historical, monumental art (whose importance is provided by being crossroads of two main roads); St. Giorgi of Surami Georgian Orthodox Church (18th-19th century church in the castle complex that has Armenian origin), Kviratskhovlis Church (domed church built in 1998 built on a place where a previous temple used to stand) or Surami Synagogue (temple from 1915 that is located in the Jewish Quarter). Not far from Surami the visitor can reach Nabakhtevi Ghvtismshoblis Church, a 15th century Georgian Orthodox church complex with a hall church and a bell tower. It keeps some damaged but beautiful wall-paintings (some compositions are at the Georgian State Museum of Art).

Where can I eat in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park?

The main places to eat in Borjomi are located around Robakidze, and some of the available choices are: the cheap Georgian restaurant Bergi (Shota Rustaveli 121), Inka Cafe (9 April  2) or the medium-prize Georgian restaurants Pesvebi [ფესვები] (Erekle 3) or cafe Old Borjomi (Kostava 19).

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