Tbilisi occupies a genuinely unusual cultural position, Georgian archaeological evidence suggests wine was first made here roughly 8,000 years ago, and the city's old town, with its carved wooden balconies clinging to a gorge above the Kura river, reflects centuries of Persian, Ottoman, and Russian influence layered over a fiercely independent local identity.
Sulphur Baths and Old Town
The Abanotubani sulphur bathhouse district, built over natural hot springs that reportedly gave Tbilisi its name (meaning 'warm place'), includes domed brick bathhouses where visitors can book private rooms for a soak and traditional scrub-down, Orbeliani Baths, with its striking blue-tiled facade, is the most photographed.
The old town's wooden balconies, some leaning precariously after decades of neglect, are gradually being restored, Rezo Gabriadze's puppet theatre clock tower, with a small figure that emerges hourly, is a beloved local landmark near the old town's edge.
Wine Culture
Georgian winemaking uses qvevri, large clay vessels buried underground for fermentation, a UNESCO-recognised method that predates nearly every other winemaking tradition on earth, the Kakheti region, a few hours from Tbilisi, is the heartland of qvevri wine production and worth a day trip for tastings.
Georgian supra, an elaborate traditional feast involving toasts led by a designated toastmaster (tamada), is as much a cultural institution as a meal, if invited to one, expect the wine to flow steadily and the toasts to run from the philosophical to the deeply personal.
Recommended Stay · Tbilisi · Vera
Rooms Hotel Tbilisi
A converted Soviet-era publishing house turned design hotel, with a lively courtyard bar popular among both guests and locals, a short walk from the old town.
