Kutaisi

Kutaisi (ქუთაისი in Georgian, Кутаиси in Russian) is a 147,635 inhabitants city by river Rioni and capital of the region of Imereti, in the west of Georgia. This city is the 3rd most populated in Georgia and traditionally seen as its 2nd most important city. Kutaisi was home of the Georgian parliament from 2012 to 2019. This lovely city is a great base for exploring the region of Imereti and a hub for low-cost airlines too.

How do I arrive to Kutaisi?

  Kutaisi is one of the most important city in Georgia so there are many way to arrive there from all over the country. 

• Plane: there are national (reaching Mestia) and international flights (from cities such as Kyiv, Moscow, Budapest or Berlin) to Kutaisi International Airport, popular among budget-airlines. To go from the airport to the city there are buses (aprox. 30 minutes) and taxis. It's 14 km west from the center of the city.
• Train: trains are mostly slower and less frequent than road transport, although may be more enjoyable. There are train routes from Kutaisi to destinations like Gori, Zugdidi (aprox. 3 hours 30 minutes), Batumi (many daily trains; aprox. 4 hours), or Tbilisi (many daily trains; aprox. 5 hours 30 minutes). 
• Bus: marshrutky (minibuses) are the main transport around Georgia. The city has frequent connections from different bus stations with all the cities of Georgia like Tskaltubo (aprox. 20 minutes), Zugdidi (every hour; aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes), Batumi (every hour; aprox. 2 hours), Borjomi (4 times per day; aprox. 3 hours) in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, Akhaltsikhe (4 times per day; aprox. 3 hours 30 minutes), Tbilisi (every hour; aprox. 4 hours), or Mestia (aprox. 4.5 hours).
  
• Car: renting a car you can reach more destinations than with other means of transport. From Kutaisi you could arrive to Tskaltubo (aprox. 20 minutes), Vani (aprox. 50 minutes), Chiatura (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes), Poti (aprox. 1 hour 40 minutes) in the Kolkheti National Park, Ozurgeti (aprox. 1 hour 40 minutes), Surami and Jashuri (aprox. 1 hour 45 minutes), Zugdidi (aprox. 1 hour 50 minutes), Borjomi (aprox. 2 hours 20 minutes) in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, Batumi and Gori (aprox. 2 hours 30 minutes), Mtskheta (aprox. 3 hours), Akhaltsikhe (aprox. 3 hours 10 minutes), Tbilisi (aprox. 3 hours 30 minutes), or Mestia (aprox. 4 hours 30 minutes). Kutaisi can also be reached from Sukhumi (aprox. 3 hours 15 minutes) in the de facto Republic of Abkhazia, or from Tskhinvali (aprox. 2.5 hours) in the de facto Republic of South Ossetia.

Once in Kutaisi the best ways of moving in the city are using public transport or walking. In the old city, bus, bike or just walking are the best ways to move, because they are usually pedestrian streets and most of the places are close ones from the others.

History

Archaeological evidence indicates that Kutaisi already functioned as the capital of the Colchis in the 6th to 5th centuries BC. Later it was capital of the kingdom of Lazica until being occupied briefly by the Arabs in the 8th century. This incursion into western Georgia was repelled by Abkhazians jointly with Lazic and Iberian allies in 736. Around 786, the king Leon II of Abkhazia won full independence from Byzantine and transferred his capital to Kutaisi, thus unifying Lazica and Abasgia via a dynastic union. From the 8th to the 13th centuries Kutaisi was the capital of the Abkhazian Kingdom, what led the unification of the Georgian monarchy in the 11th century. Kutaisi served as capital of the united Kingdom of Georgia from 1008 to 1122 and from the 15th century until 1810, it was the capital of the Imeretian Kingdom. Kutaisi was conquered by Selim I (son of the sultan of the Ottoman Empire Bayezid II) in the year 1508. During the 17th century, Imeretian kings made many appeals to Russian Empire to help them in their struggle for independence from the Ottomans, but all these appeals were ignored as Russia in order not want to spoil relations with Turkey. Only in the reign of Catherine the Great, in 1768, were troops of general Gottlieb Heinrich Totleben sent to join the forces of King Heraclius II of Georgia, who hoped to reconquer the Ottoman-held southern Georgian lands, with Russian help. Totleben helped King Solomon I of Imereti to recover his capital, Kutaisi in 1770. Finally, the Russian-Turkish wars ended in 1810 with the annexation of the Imeretian Kingdom by the Russian Empire. Kutaisi was the capital of the Kutais Governorate, which included much of west Georgia. Kutaisi was a major industrial center before Georgia's independence on 9 April 1991. Independence was followed by the economic collapse of the country, and, as a result, many inhabitants of Kutaisi have had to work abroad. In October 1993, during the civil war in Georgia, the Zviadists launched an offensive against Kutaisi, counterattacked by government forces (ending in the final defeat of the Zviadists and the death of Gamsakhurdia). In 2011 the president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili signed a constitutional amendment relocating the parliament to Kutaisi, in an effort to decentralise power and shift some political control closer to Abkhazia (criticised for the demolition of a Soviet War Memorial formerly at the new building's location). The following government of the Georgian Dream passed a new constitution that moved the parliament back to Tbilisi from 2019. In March 2021 there were important protests here against the construction of Namakhvani hydropower project, the largest ever outside Kutaisi.

Kutaisi's top 5

If you have little or you just don't want to visit all Kutaisi, here's a list of the 5 places you can't miss in Kutaisi.

1. Gelati Monastery.
2. Bagrati Cathedral.
3. Motsameta Monastery.
4. Bridges of Kutaisi.
5. Jewish quarter and Kutaisi Synagogue.

What can I visit in Kutaisi?

Kutaisi is one of the main sightseeing sites in Georgia and the whole Caucasus. Some its mosts interesting districts are the historical center of Kutaisi or Samepo Ubani (royal quarter, consisting of 6 streets and 38 buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries) or the Jewish Quarter. Some of the most important sites in Kutaisi are crossed or close to the streets Queen Tamar or Newport. On the bend of river Rioni, the embankment has been recently reformed and it's a very nice place to have a walk.

These are Kutaisi's main attractions:

• Bagrati Cathedral of Kutaisi (9-20; free):

  

  Main façade of Bagrati Cathedral
  

  triconch-type cross-in-square cathedral that belongs to the Georgian Orthodox Church. It was built in 1003 under king Bagrat III, being a symbol of an unified Georgia. The decoration of the temple is rich (some traces of a fresco are preserved) and its exquisite proportions, the harmony of the exterior masses and the grand interior space tmake it today a masterpiece of the medieval Georgian architecture. The church was damaged in an explosion in 1692 and has been renovated several times since then. The temple was controversially renovated by Andrea Bruno between 2009 and 2012,

  

  Exterior of Bagrati Cathedral
  

  and that restoration made the cathedral be in UNESCO's World Heritage in Danger list first, and then UNESCO World Heritage status (gained in 1994) was removed (because the integrity and authenticity of the site was removed). Despite all this, the project was recognized with the University of Ferrara Domus International Prize for Restoration and Conservation in 2013.
  
• Ruins of Ukimerioni Fortress: remains of a castle that was first built in the 6th century, being an important defensive structure of the Kingdom of Egrisi. It had special importance during the Byzantine-Sasanian War of 602–628. The ruins are placed next to Bagrati Cathedral.
  
• Kutaisi Botanical Garden (9-18; 4₾/ 0.5₾  adults/ people under 18): botanical garden that was first opened in 1840 but founded as the current institution in 1969.

  

  Kutaisi Botanical Garden
  

  The flora of the garden includes subtropical trees and bushes, different kinds of flowers and in the center a 400 years old oak tree stands, having a tiny chapel inside the tree.
• Mtavarangelozis Georgian Orthodox Church: small 17th century hall church with a simple interior, although its frescoes were re-painted. It's situated in a complex called Mtsvane-Kvavila, consisting of three churches, a defensive tower and a pantheon for the burial of prominent public figures.
• St. Giorgi Georgian Orthodox Church: church built following the canons of Georgian Orthodox architecture. According to legend, it was erected in the very place where St. George appeared to king David the Builder in a dream.
  

  

  Ghvtismshoblis Kharebis Church
  

• Ghvtismshoblis Kharebis Church: domed church built in 1823 by the Russian czar with a design inspired by Baroque-Gothic cathedrals in St. Petersburg, converted into a Catholic church from 1856 to the 1920s. Currently it's part of the Georgian Orthodox Church, although it was traditionally a Catholic church and Georgian Catholics demand its return. Its architecture is an interesting eclectic mix of two religions traditions.
• Kutaisi Synagogue (11-17): synagogue built in 1886, one of the three that the city has. Its stone façades are decorated with plain although elegant decoration.  and the interior of the building is completely painted.

  

  Kutaisi Synagogue
  

  Jew people have lived in Kutaisi since the Middle Ages in the Jewish Quarter, area that included the territory between the present streets Gaponovi and Mtsvanekvavila. Jews compounded a 18% of the population in Kutaisi in 1916 census.
  
• Zakaria Paliashvili House-Museum (11-17 Wed-Sat): small museum at the house where Zakaria Paliashvili (composer that was one of the founders of the Georgian classical music) spent here his childhood and youth.
• National Museum of Combat Glory (10-18 Tue-Sat; free): museum that preserves materials reflecting the history of Georgian martial arts (focused on a local eclectic martial art called khridoli, including weapons and equipment), World War II (photos of Kutaisi soldiers, awards, correspondence and other documents), as well as the War in Abkhazia (1991-1993) and Russo-Georgian War (2008).
  
• Museum of Georgian Sports (10-18 Mon-Fri; free):

  

  Colchis Fountain
  

  museum that houses collections about the top sportspeople in Georgia. There are exhibitions displaying medals, cups, prizes, photographs of Georgian champions in Europe, World and Olympic champions.There are also audiovisual collections and these topics, and a thematic exhibition about Georgian footballers in foreign countries.
• Colchis Fountain: fountain placed in the center of Tsentraluri moedani with large ornamental decoration. It consists in large-scale copies of the famous gold jewellery discovered at the nearby Vani Archaeological Site. Next to it there's the charming Kutaisi Park.
  

  

  Okros Chardakhi
  

• David Kakabadze Kutaisi Art Gallery (10-18 Mon-Fri; 1₾/ 0.50₾  adults/ people under 18):  art museum that has exhibitions focused on Georgian artists from the 19th and 20th century, having around 3,000 works of art in their collection. The art gallery has works by Niko Pirosmani, Gigo Gabashvili, Elene Akhvlediani, Lado Gudiashvili or David Kakabadze (artist from Kutaisi with Cubist paintings; it names the museum too).
• Okros Chardakhi: two-storey house-museum, where it can be seen objects that once belonged to the representatives of the royal dynasty of Bagrationi. It's located on the place where it used stand the palace of the Imeretian kings, from where they ruled the country.
  
• Kutaisi State Historical Museum (10-18; 3₾/ 2₾  adults/ students and people under 18):

  

  Exhibition at Kutaisi State
  Historical Museum
  

  
  museum about the history of Kutaisi and western Georgia, having superb collections with around 150,000 items from all over this part of the country (from the 9th century BC to late medieval times). One its highlights is the Golden Fund section, a marvellous exhibition of icons and crosses in precious metals and jewels, (including a large, reputedly miracleworking icon that used to reside in the Bagrati Cathedral). Other important pieces are archaeological discoveries from Bronze Age; objects from Roman, Byzantine and Islamic times, and a collection of the oldest epigraphic monuments and Georgian manuscripts. Taking a guided tour is a good idea as labelling is poor.
  
• Besik Gabashvili Amusement Park: park with old Soviet attractions and the best views of Kutaisi. The amusement rides are open from 12:00 to 20:00, and cost 1₾.

  

  Views from White Bridge
  

  
  
• Kutaisi has many nice bridges and some of them are very nice and worth some more talk. One of the them is the Chain Bridge (beautiful bridge from the 19th century), Red Bridge (first metal bridge in the Caucasus, whose construction was completed in 1862) or White Bridge (bridge built in 1872 with nice views of Kutaisi; it has a bronze sculpture of a little girl and is probably the most popular bridge in the city).
• Along Kutaisi it can be seen several remains of its Soviet history. Some of the most interesting ones are mosaics and bas-relieves, such as a Soviet bas-relief in a gas station and a Soviet mosaic in a residential building.

  

  Soviet bas-relief in
  a gas station
  

• Parliament of Georgia in Kutaisi: building that was constructed by Alberto Domingo Cabo in Mikheil Saakashvili's times (2011-2012) to house the Parliament of Georgia. The exterior of the building is dominated by a oval-shaped great glass and steel dome ploughed by a roof-like concrete element that rests on the vault. The parliament was placed in Kutaisi (on the site of a memorial to Soviet soldiers of WW2) as a boost for the regional economy, as well as a way to knit the country closer together. It became the main seat of the newly elected Parliament in October 2012 (when Saakashvili's term in office expired)

  

  Parliament of Georgia in Kutaisi
  

  
  until the legislature moved back to Tbilisi in January 2019.
  
• Tskaltsitela Gorge: river gorge located on the outskirts of Kutaisi that goes from Gelati Monastery to the proximities of Kutaisi. The river that crosses all the canyon is Tskaltsitela (literally red water), that got it name because of reddish color of water. It has beautifully preserved Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests (and rare endemic species of Georgia too), as well as a rich variety of fish species. In 1757 the famous Battle of Khresili, in which the Kingdom of Imereti defeated the Ottoman Empire, was conducted here.
  
• Motsameta Monastery:

  

  Motsameta Monastery
  

   complex of monasteries founded by king Bagrat IV of Georgia in the 11th century, picturesquely located on the clifftop above a bend of river Tskhaltsitela. Its history is linked to a legend of two brothers (David and Konstantine Mkheidze) who were victims of an Arab massacre in the 8th century, with their bodies thrown in the river but then miraculously brought up. Those brothers were later recognised as saints by the Georgian Orthodox Church, being one of the most important monuments of ancient Georgian culture. According to legend, there is a secret passage between the Motsameta Monastery and the Gelati Monastery, used during the wars.
  
• Gelati Monastery (8-20; free):

  

  Gelati Monastery
  

  amazing monastery complex that was founded by king David the Builder in 1106 as a centre for Christian culture and Neoplatonist learning, today part of UNESCO World Heritage list. It's an outstanding example of Georgian Golden Age architecture, one of Georgia’s most important churches and a cultural hub of medieval renaissance in the country. It was set on fire by Ottoman Turks in 1510, but Bagrat III of Imereti restored it. After the Soviet invassion, the monks were cast out by the communists in 1922, but the monastery was reconsecrated in 1988.

  

  Frescoes in Gelati Monastery
  

  The main church in the complex is Ghvtismshoblis Shobis Georgian Orthodox Church, whose interior with fascinating frescoes (painted between the 12th and 18th centuries) is among the brightest and most colourful in Georgia; it has a famous 1120s Byzantine style mosaic of the Virgin and Child with Archangels Michael and Gabriel. Another nice churches are St. Giorgi Georgian Orthodox Church (nearest church to the entrace, having multiple colourful frescoes), St. Nikolozi Georgian Orthodox Church (built on an unusual arcaded base). Today it has been rebuilt the Academy (where philosophy, theology, sciences and painting were studied, and important chronicles and translations written). The monastery is the place where many Georgian rulers were buried, like David IV of Georgia (or David the Builder), Bagrat V of Georgia, Demetrius I of Georgia or Queen Tamar. Next to the tombs are located The Ancient Gates of Ganja, a masterpiece of craftsmanship of the 10th-11th centuries. It can be a good idea visiting the monastery during the Sunday-morning service (around 10 am), you’ll be treated to beautiful Georgian religious chants.

Sataplia Nature Reserve

Kutaisi is surrounded of places and things to do. Driving 11 km north there's Sataplia Nature Reserve (10-18 Tue-Sun; 17.25₾/ 5.50₾  adults/ kids), a 6.04 km² reserve at the slopes of extinct volcano (Mount Sataplia) covered in thick, subtropical Colchic forest and has a couple of panoramic lookout points. Within the reserve there are a couple of dozen fossilised dinosaur footprints that date back to 120 million year ago. It has a 300m-long cave, Sataplia Cave, with attractive decoration and a small underground river. Only 15 km north from Kutaisi there's the spa resort town of Tskaltubo (წყალტუბო in Georgian) with 11,281 inhabitants. It is known for its mineral springs (the focus is on balneotherapy for circulatory, nervous, musculo-skeletal, gynaecological and skin diseases) and was especially popular in the Soviet era (attracting around 125,000 visitors a year), as it can be seen in its Stalinist style architecture.

Dilapidated spa in Tskaltubo

In fact, in the Bathhouse 6 there's a frieze of Stalin, and visitors can see the private pool where he bathed on his visits. Today the sanatorium complexes have been devoted to housing some 9000 refugees displaced from Abkhazia. Here the best idea is explore the old buildings and get a feeling for the now gone time. In the center of the town there's Tskaltubo Spa Park, a spacious complex with pavilions and fountains; the main standing spa is Bathhouse 6, built in 1951 exclusively for Stalin and offers splendid interior decorations with mosaics, paintings, wood paneling and marble. This part of Georgia has many caves and one of the most impressing one is Prometheus Cave (10-18 Tue-Sun; 23₾/ 5.50₾  adults/ kids). It's a cave regarded as one of Georgia's longest natural caves (1.4 km long) and it consists in six large chambers with fabulous stalactites and stalagmites and a 400m-long underground lake. It's truly impressive and, together with the guided tour (in Georgian or Russian), there's discreet coloured lighting and a little background classical music.

Okatse Canyon

One of the highlights of the surroundings of Kutaisi is Okatse Canyon (10-18 Tue-Sun; 17.50₾/ 5.50₾  adults/ kids), a 700m-long hanging walkway on the edge of this 100m-deep canyon caused by the erosion of river Okatse. It culminates in a 20m long viewing platform above the canyon, providing panoramic views. The canyon has several tiny lakes and waterfalls and, among the most awesome ones is Kinchkha Waterfall (9-18 Tue-Sun; 17.50₾/ 5.50₾  adults/ kids). This impressive and gorgeous waterfall cascades fall 88m down the side of a huge limestone cliff, running through a narrow gorge and then crashes on into the Okatse River. It’s totally accessible by the construction of a metal walkway through the gorge.

Ruins of Geguti Palace

In case of going south, only 12 km far from Kutaisi, it can be visited Geguti Palace. Here, along the river Rioni, are located the ruins of a Georgian royal palace complex commissioned by king George III of Georgia in the 12th century (however, its history goes back to the 10th century). Its importance is due to scarcity of securlar monuments of medieval Georgian architecture. It's thought that the complex was a great rectangular castle with three defensive towers and four walls. Queen Tamar used to stay in Geguti and this is where the rebellious nobles crowned her Russian husband, Prince Yuri, during his attempt failed to seize power from Tamar. In the mid-20th century fieldwork took place to stratify and reconstruct the edifices. A bit further in the south there's Vartsikhe Fortress, a ruined castle that was the summer residence of the Kings of Imereti from the late Middle Ages to the 19th century. They used to go hunting to its forested environs, now part of Ajameti Managed Reserve, a reserve originally created to preserve rare and relict Imeretian oak and zelkova trees. It's located in the place where it used to be located Rhodopolis, one of the key towns in Lazica that contested between the Eastern Roman and Sasanian empires in the 6th century.

Treasures in Vani Archaeological Museum

Following the way of river Rioni towards the coast, 40 km far from Kutaisi, it can be visited the town of Vani (ვანი in Georgian) with 3,744 inhabitants. The town is the other of the seats of the Diocese of Vani and Baghdati. The visitor can enjoy here Vani Cathedral, cross-in-square church of very recent construction that has blue domes and its interior is painted. Another place to visit here is Vani Synagogue (19th century temple whose exterior and interior are plastered and painted in an austere way) but, without doubts, the main reason to stop in Vani is its past as the capital of the Colchis. Discovering Vani Archaeological Site, in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage, offers the best evidence of the development of this area throughout the period of Greek colonization of the coastline into the Roman period. Vani was a vibrant urban settlement (from the 8th century BC to the mid-1st century BC) as it can be seen in the remains of fortifications and temples, locally produced and imported Greek pottery, and sophisticated local goldwork. Its ancient name is still unknown (some hypotheses identify it with Surium and others with Leucothea).

Sulori Valley

To understand better the site, its history and see all the jewels and tools found here, it's a good idea to enter Vani Archaeological Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun; 5₾/ 0.50₾  adults/ people under 18). Close to Vani, by river Rioni, it's a good idea to visit Galaktion and Titsian Tabidze House-Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun; 1₾/ free  adults/ kids under 6), a museum situated where the famous Georgian poets Galaktion Tabidze and Titsian Tabidze that hosts personal things of the poets and their ancestors (accessories, clothes, embroidery samples, trinkets, paintings, graphic and sculpture works of Georgian artists). Getting 11 km into Sulori Valley there's Sulori (სულორი in Georgian), a village with 702 inhabitants that used to be an important climate-balneological resort in Soviet times (still working despite their infrastructures are damaged).

What activities can I do in Kutaisi?

Kutaisi Cable Car

Kutaisi isn't a very large city but as one of the main cities in western Georgia and one of its main cultural center, there's a rather interesting cultural offer. Some of the places to enjoy it are Lado Meskhishvili Theatre (theatre placed in a Neoclassical building from 1860).

In Kutaisi there's a cable car that links Okros Chardakhi with the top of Besik Gabashvili Amusement Park, Kutaisi Cable Car (3 minutes; 0.5₾). 

Where can I buy and eat in Kutaisi?

Kutaisi Market

Kutaisi has a nice culinary offer, although quite far from Tbilisi's one. These are the main recommendations in Kutaisi, most of them have medium price: the Georgian restaurants Palaty [პალატი] (Pushkin 2), Our Garden Cafe & Bar (Bagrati 23) or the international restaurant Sesame (Tsereteli 163/165). A very interesting choice for high budget is the Georgian restaurant  Toma's Wine Cellar (Nodar Dumbadze 16).

Kutaisi has one of the largest and most colourful indoor markets in all Georgia, Green Bazaar [მწვანე ბაზარი] (Palishchvilis 1, Shesakhvevi 2), where finding any kind of product, or Kutaisi Market (Shota Rustaveli), with a nice Soviet-style façade.  

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