Matador Network: Why You Need to See Tbilisi
Matador Network has dedicated an article to the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, giving reasons why it is a good idea to visit the city.
The article reads that Georgia is unknown to many travelers but that it is slowly becoming a hot destination. It also says that there are a lot of activities that can be done in Tbilisi.
“You can stroll in Rike Park along the Mtkvari River and watch kids play in the grass. From the park, you can take a cable car to Narikala Fortress for a sweeping view of the city. Or you can wander around in the streets of Old Town, go to the market, and eat all the food you can,” it says, adding the food is very inexpensive, and you can find good private accommodation for a few dollars a night. Moreover, traveling by taxi is also common and cheap.
Another reason named in the article as to why travelers should visit Tbilisi is that the architecture there is “quirky and awesome.”
“Influences from Europe, Persia, the Arab world, and Russia have shaped Georgia’s identity, resulting in one of the most unique cultures in the world,” the article reads, adding this combination of the future and the past will definitely leave an impression.
For people traveling with kids, the article recommends visiting Mtatsminda Park, a big amusement park at the top of Mount Mtatsminda, at over 2,500 high and the highest point in the city. It was also a very popular public park in the USSR during the Soviet Union.
The author underlines that Georgian people are very welcoming.
“Georgians are some of the warmest and most welcoming people in all of Europe. Although many of them don’t understand or speak English, they’ll go out of their way to help you out,” it says.
And of course, Georgian cuisine is one of the top reasons why one should visit the country, where “every meal is a feast.”
“Most meals in Georgia include more food than can physically fit on the table. A must-try is khinkali, Georgian dumplings,” the article reads.
In addition to this, only a two-hour drive away from Tbilisi you will find Sighnaghi, a picturesque, small town in Kakheti, the wine region of Georgia.
“Sighnaghi is a cobblestoned village and the perfect place to try some of the famous Georgian qvevri wine,” reads the article.
Source: www.Georgiatoday.ge; By Thea Morrison
Photo: www.Georgiatoday.ge
7.5 km long cable car opens connecting Kobi, Gudauri ski resorts
A 7.5 km long cable car between the ski resorts of Kobi and Gudauri opened earlier today, connecting the Stepantsminda region to Gudauri in just 15 minutes.
The cable car will serve to make both Kobi and Gudauri more functional winter resorts, offering easier transportation in the area.“Georgia will take its place on the global map as a country with the most successful ski resort. Number of tourists has increased by 500 percent in Gudari during last six years. This is a great success but not enough. This cable car is truly unic which will unify Gudauri and Kobi in one cluster. Outstanding Swiss and Austrian resorts have managed to achieve best results through realisation of the same strategy and I am sure that we are also getting closer to this level,” PM Bakhtadze said at the opening ceremony.
Kobi is a village in Stepantsminda, while Gudauri is a ski resort located on the south-facing plateau of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range.
The distance between Kobi and Gudauri is 15.2km and by car you can cover this distance in about 22 minutes – but since landslides and heavy snow can force the car route through Jvari pass to shut in the winter, the new cable car will help the commuters or skiers transport back and forth anyway.
About 81 million GEL was allocated from the state budget to construct the Kobi-Gudauri cable car with the capacity of carrying 2,800 people in an hour.
Source: Agenda.ge
Opening ceremony of Georgian Fine Arts Museum
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze attended the opening ceremony of Georgian Fine Arts Museum and addressed the gathered community.
According to Kakha Kaladze, the City Hall will always support similar projects.
“As the mayor of the capital, I would like to once more reiterate, that the capital of any European country would dream of such space and the environment. Younger generations will also be able to develop and I am really happy in this regard. I would like to thank to Gia Jokhtaberidze and his family for everything, “said Kakha Kaladze.
The private collection of the museum founders, Gia Jokhtaberidze and Manana Shevardnadze’s family paintings were exhibited in the museum, which has been composed of 3500 paintings of 80 artists since 1945.
Exhibition space is relevant to modern standards. Gradually, new paintings will be added to the museum and besides permanent exposition, temporary exhibitions will be arranged as well.
The event was attended by members of the Government of Georgia, representatives of diplomatic corps, artists and representatives of world leading museums.