Last time I told you about Batumi, the capital city of Adjara, a wonderful place on the Black Sea coast. Having studied all the streets, at home, walking along the embankment, and then repeating the bike ride, we went to see the surroundings.
What to see in Batumi (PHOTO)
We started with the Botanical Garden. It was created on the principle of the legendary gardens of Babylon and descends in tiers from the top of the mountains to the Black Sea. On 113 hectares, you need to allocate at least a few days, because there really is something to explore there.
For example, the uppermost tier is the zone of Himalaya plants, then there are the New Zealand, Australian, North American departments, the Japanese garden, the Mexican hill, the subtropics zone … Flora lovers will be delighted with Japanese sakura, bonsai trees, magnolias, eucalyptus trees … I can imagine how I would consider every flower is my mother, a big lover of plants … But only cacti survive at home (which, in the botanical garden, too), so one day for walking was enough for me.
By the way, a small life hack – GPS navigation is lame here, so be sure to pay attention to the signposts!
12 chairs
On the outskirts of Batumi, there is a place that you will not find on the tourist map – the house of the charming Georgian Feride. She makes a living by renting out rooms to vacationers.
What’s so special, you ask? And the fact that her house is unusual and each of the rooms is not a set: a bed, a bedside table, an air conditioner, but a whole family story. Here you have a carved bedroom set and a large round dining table, and a sideboard with crystal glasses. And so it all harmoniously fits into the interior, that there is a feeling that you are not renting a room, but have come to visit your beloved grandmother! And all because in winter Feride herself lives in this house with her family, and in the summer she gives it to guests. By the way, you won’t be able to just come and settle down, because regular guests have been booking their favorite rooms for six months already.
But that’s not the whole story about the house. An episode of the movie “12 Chairs” was filmed in his yard! “Pudovkin was running around here, I remember. And we bought a similar chair in memory of the shooting and sewed diamonds into it!” – Feride told us, who at the time of filming was 18 years old.
Kobuleti – who is cheaper?
Another life hack: if you can’t afford a hotel or apartment in Batumi, pay attention to the village of Kobuleti, which is located 20 km from the city. Here, almost all residents rent rooms – and the prices are much more affordable than in the capital of Adjara. If you like tranquility, pine forest, and clear sea, then you are here. The ex-mayor of Kyiv, Leonid Chernovetsky, built his mansion here. So for those who are interested, you can take a look at his “house by the sea.” But, to be honest, there is no special entertainment in Kobuleti. For them, you will have to go to Batumi.
Forts, waterfalls and bridges
15 km from the city in the direction of Turkey is the ancient fortress of Gonio (Gonio-Apsarosskaya). When we were taken there, I expected to see a huge castle, but everything turned out to be much simpler – a few stone walls, the foundation did not make a huge impression on me.
But the history of this place is interesting. One of the legends says that the name Apsaros comes from the ancient Greek myth about the Argonauts: allegedly, the son of King Eet, killed by Jason, and the brother of Medea, Apsyrtus, are buried here. Even on the territory of the fortress is the grave of the Apostle Matthias, who became one of the twelve apostles by lot after the death of Christ, and took the place of Judas Iscariot. According to legend, he and Andrew the First-Called preached Christianity in Georgia, and here Matthias was buried.
Another must-see place in the vicinity of Batumi is the Makhuntseti waterfall and the 900-year-old arched bridge of Queen Tamara. They are in the same direction. I confess that on the way to these sights I saw a slightly different Georgia. The tiny village of Keda with dilapidated houses high in the mountains after the bright modern Batumi made a somewhat depressing impression. But all this was compensated by the extraordinary nature and a 20-meter waterfall, the noise of which can be heard from afar. In the summer, people swim here and there is a cafe; in November, it is better to admire the waterfall in the first half of the day, as it gets dark rapidly after 15.00.
Well, 500 meters across the road from the waterfall (although, as it seemed to me, the descent took a long time) there is an arched bridge from the time of Queen Tamara. As the guide told us, there are 25 such bridges in Adjara, and this one is one of the most beautiful and, of course, the most visited. And you know, I certainly agree that the bridge still makes an impression!
Walking in the mountains and fresh air, of course, contribute to appetite. Therefore, on the way back, we stopped at the Adjarian wine house. And from this moment begins the story of a gastronomic journey, which I will tell you next time.
