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Banknotemaniac
Kintrishi National Park (also know as კინტრიშის დაცული ლანდშაფტი in Georgian) is a 186.8 km²
park situated in the gorge of Kintrishi river in Georgia, in the north of Adjara Autonomous Republic. It was established in 2007 and is one of the smallest national parks in the whole country.
How do I arrive to Kintrishi National Park?
Kintrishi National Park isn't quite well communicated with other Georgian towns and cities. The easiest way to arrive here is doing it via Kobuleti.
- Train: all the trains that connect Batumi with Ozurgeti, Kutaisi and Tbilisi stop in Kobuleti
- Bus: there are marshrutkas departing from Batumi, Poti and Tbilisi to Kobuleti.
- Car: the main entrance to Kintrishi National Park is via Kobuleti, that can be reached from places such as Ureki (aprox. 30 minutes), Ozurgeti (aprox. 35 minutes), Batumi (aprox. 45 minutes), Mtirala National Park (aprox. 50 minutes), Poti (aprox. 55 minutes) in Kolkheti National Park, Sarpi (aprox. 1 hour), Chokhatauri (aprox. 1 hour 5 minutes), Machakhela National Park (aprox. 1 hour 45 minutes) or Khulo (aprox. 2 hours 30 minutes).
History
The territory of Kobuleti Municipality was part of the historical-geographical part, Guria, Kvemo Guria, and with religious division was included in the Khinotsminda Episcopate. There were nobles of Tavdgiridzes, Gugunavs and Manvelishvilis in Kvemo Guria. From the 18th century, the Ottoman Empire began the gradual conquest of Lower Guria: in 1703, the Ottomans conquered Batumi and Chakvi and directly adjacent to Kvemo Guria, and after the Russo-Ottoman War of 1768-1774, they finally occupied Kvemo Guria. The Ottomans first captured Tsikhisdziri and Kobuleti in 1769, and Khinotsminda in 1772. The process of Islamization of this side began, which lasted for a century. As part of the Ottoman Empire, this area formed the Churuk-Sus Casa (district), which was part of the Sanjak of Lazistan. The Russian Empire could have annexed Churuk-Sus in 1829, but due to a technical defect in the Treaty of Adrianople, on the contrary, the border shifted further north and crossed the Cholok River. According to the data of 1865, its population was of 3592 Georgian Muslims and 538 Circassian Muhajirs. Churuk-Sus was appropriated by the Russian Empire in 1878, after the Russo-Ottoman War. Russia included it in the Batumi district of the Batumi district as a Kintrishi district. Kobuleti district was established in 1930.
What can I visit in Kintrishi National Park?
Kintrishi
National Park is a unknown destination and not touristic at all but its main town is, Kobuleti.
In the following lines it will be explained what to do in the park according to
the town or village where they are or the nearest one:
- Kobuleti (ქობულეთი in Georgian, Çürüksu in Turkish): 27,546 inhabitants seaside resort in the northern coast of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, very visited by Georgians and Armenians. Although the town isn't strictly in the national park boundaries, the park is situated in the municipality of Kobuleti.
- Kobuleti Beach: popular beach with a mix of sand and extremely polished pebbles, very nice and clean. Its water is clean and very little litter can be seen. It's specially popular among families.
- Kobuleti Central Park: interesting park in the center of the town, full of pines that provide protection against the heat. Here it's also situated a curious mosaic fish fountain from Soviet times.
- Kobuleti Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun; 3₾/ 1₾
adults/ students and kids): small museum that houses archeological, ethnological, flora and fauna, manuscripts, photographs and other materials to show the history of Kobuleti and the northern part of Adjara.
- Kobuleti Managed Reserve: 4.4 km² natural reserve created in 1998 to preserve the unique wetland ecosystems located on left and right banks of Shavi Ghele river respectively.
- Kintrishi National Park Administration (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 to Kobuleti, 10 km far, it's located Kvirike Mosque. This wooden mosque was built in 1861 and is one of the oldest surviving mosques in the district of Kobuleti, distinctive for the abundance of original carvings from Ottoman times. Not far from here are the Ruins of Alambari Fortress, remains of a 18th century castle which belonged to Mamuka Tavdgiridze and resulted destroyed during the 1959 earthquake.
- Just in the entrance to Kintrishi National Park, it is a possible idea to take the short Tamara Bridge and Box-tree Stand Trail (1 km). This very short hike crosses a 12th century arch bridge on river Kintrishi (Tamara Bridge) and rises up to Tskhemovani Monastery, that began working as such only in 2005.
- Further into the gorge of Kintrishi river, one arrives to the village of Didvake (დიდვაკე in Georgian), 174 inhabitants. Close to this village there's Khinotsminda Monastery, a functioning monastery that is next to the Ruins of Khinotsminda Cathedral, remnants of a church similar to Achi Church in Guria that was already damaged during the Ottoman invasion in the 18th century and finally demolished in 1919. One of the best hiking ideas in this national park is taking the easy trail towards Tbikeli Lake, a small lake full of protected Caucasian tritons, by using Tbikeli Lake Trail (10.3 km). In the way some nice mountains will be climbed like Mount Nabadziri (2364 m high) and the visitor cane enjoy the views and even sleep at a cottage.
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| Cottage in Tbikeli Lake Trail and its views |
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| Kobuleti Beach |
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| Ruins of Petra Fortress |
In the south of Kobuleti there are some nice resorts with beautiful beaches that can be a good idea to take a look at. Some of the most calmed ones are Bobokvati Beach or Tsikhisdziri Beach. In this last town with 2,472 people, Tsikhisdziri (ციხისძირი in Georgian), it can be found the Ruins of Petra Fortress, remains of a fortified town built under the Byzantine emperor Justinian I as an important outpost in Lazica and the Caucasus. Currently it can be observed the ruins of the citadel with a three-nave basilica, walls, a bath and other structures, tegether with Petra Archaeological Museum (10-18; 3₾/ 1₾
adults/ students and kids). Here there's also Tsikhisdziri Mosque and some ruined and abandoned palaces that belonged to Russian generals (and that the most curious and adventurous visitor can try to visit).
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