5 Reasons That Will Force You To Visit Kutaisi

Most of the travellers who come to Georgia start their trip from Tbilisi and move around the country from there. To see most of the country, you might not want to start here. Tbilisi is located in eastern Georgia. Therefore it takes a couple of hours to drive west to see the natural wonders of the country. Thus, if you plan to experience Georgia’s wonders, the best strategic location to start your trip would be Kutaisi. Here are 5 reasons why.

An Ancient Town

A former capital of Georgia, Kutaisi is one of the oldest cities in the country. It was a capital of the Kingdom of Colchis, where people used to live as early as the second millennium BC. Moreover, it’s enlisted as one of Europe’s 16 oldest cities, something you might want to add to your wishlist of places to see.

Interesting Landmarks

Kutaisi and the surrounding area is full of impressive monuments, such as caves, dinosaur footprints, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, monasteries and a futuristic parliament building to name a few. In fact, there are so many things to see and do in the area, you might wind up staying in Kutaisi longer than expected.

Natural Wonders

With its central location, Kutaisi is a perfect hub for those who love to visit canyons or natural reserves. From here, you can spend a day or more exploring incredible natural parks without exhausting yourself from hours of driving. Okatse and Martvili Canyons, Katskhi Pillar, and the Vardzia cave town are within a short car drive.

Riding an old Soviet Tramway

Chiatura, a mining town in the Imereti region, is about one and a half hours from Kutaisi. The city has a very industrial setting and is famous for a Soviet-era tramway that is still in use today. The surrounding area of the town is abandoned and looks post-apocalyptic. Most of the nearby factories were abandoned and stripped after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Georgian civil war.

Visiting Samegrelo

A two hour drive will take you to Zugdidi, the central town of the Samegrelo region. Here, you can walk around the city and visit the Dadiani Palace, which holds some of the most important relics of the wold, including objects connected to Emperor Napoleon.