Although it is not high on most tourists’ radars, we found ourselves in Kutaisi. for a few days Our main objective was to visit Martvili Canyon and Prometheus Cave on a day trip from the city, but we were happy when we found a few interesting cultural spots right in Kutaisi.
Having been inhabited by the Colchis people as early as the 15th century BCE, Kutaisi is one of the oldest cities in the Caucasus. Over this lengthy history, it served as the capital on several occasions. The first few times were under ancient kingdoms when the region was called Colchis. Another was under King David the Builder in the 10th century. It resumed the title most recently from 2012 to 2018, before moving to Tbilisi in 2019, where it remains today.
This extensive history can be found in a few places in the city. The weather wasn’t the best when we visited, but we were still able to explore most of the sites between rain showers. Come with us as we explore Kutaisi, beginning in its historic centre.
Colchis Fountain
Sitting in the middle of a disorganized roundabout is the flashy fountain that is one of the most famous sites in the city. Golden statues that represent artifacts found in ancient archeological sites in the region decorate Colchis Fountain.
Adding more glamour to its surroundings are a few grand buildings on the edge of the roundabout. Traffic on the square, is not necessarily heavy, but it is very disorganized. At least seven ‘lanes’ of traffic cram into the space of three, but there are no lines so drivers go wherever there’s room. This makes it very difficult to cross on foot.
Kutaisi Central Park
On the side of the busy roundabout is a nice park with fountains, flower beds and sculptures. Our favourite features in Kutaisi Central Park were the beautiful white barked sycamore trees. On sunny days, locals could enjoy the shade cast by these beautiful trees.
One day, as we walked around the park, we saw a man in a chokha. It is a national costume commonly worn in the Caucasus during Medieval times. Today it is worn at important ceremonies and festivals. It is a symbol of Georgian independence and pride. We’re not sure why he had it on, but we’re glad he did. Then we had another surprise. All across Georgia, we saw monks and priests dressed in cassocks. Finally, in Kutaisi, we were able to get a picture.
Kutaisi was an important city during both the Russian Empire and Soviet rule; as a result, you can find a few grand buildings from their times. Not all are at their best, but we managed to find a few. At the far end of the park is the Opera House, decorated with tall statues on the roof. The front is being renovated, but it still projects elegance. In addition to the Opera House, the neighbouring streets also have a few other lovely buildings in good condition.
Some date back to Russian times, others to the Soviet era, and a few go much further back than that. Today, much of the city is a bit of a fixer-upper. Even still, it is a pleasant city to wander its historic centre and try to find its few hidden gems.
Kutaisi Public Library
We had read about a wonderful ceiling in the city’s main library, so we went to take a look. We searched through what we thought was every room in the old building, and only found rather run-down reading rooms and offices. Finally, we asked a librarian. She thought about it, asked someone else and then grabbed a key and took us through a labyrinth of old hallways, behind locked doors and finally into a tight room, crammed with books. She pointed to a rickety ladder. We looked up to see the small domed ceiling, hidden behind stacks of books. Years ago, the old wooden dome had been expertly carved, but unfortunately, it hadn’t been maintained. I wouldn’t call it spectacular, but it is a unique feature and we’re glad we persisted in finding it.
French and Jewish Districts
On the other side of Colchis Fountain are two other heritage communities; the old French and Jewish neighbourhoods. Almost all that is left of those communities now are a church and a synagogue. Capuchin missionaries established the Holy Annunciation Church in the 17th century. The style of the building may look familiar to readers, but in Georgia, Baroque architecture is very foreign. Inside, it has been transformed into a more typical Georgian Orthodox church featuring an iconostasis at the front and the removal of pews.
Kutaisi was once home to a large Jewish Community. The 19th century synagogue is in good condition and, while the congregation is small, there is still a regular service. We had seen pictures of its pretty interior, but it was closed both times we stopped by, so we couldn’t see it for ourselves.
Soviet 3D Bas Relief
The Soviets left their mark with many ugly apartment buildings, but one feature they left is quite interesting. On the side of the Green Market is a mosaic that ties in stories from the areas past, including Jason and the Argonauts, Prometheus as well as local folklore.
If you are familiar with Greek mythology, then Colchis and the Rioni River may sound familiar. Many believe Kutaisi is referred to in The Argonautica, a Greek epic poem. It tells the tale of Jason and the Argonauts, who sailed from the Black Sea up the Rioni River to a city called Aia in their search for the Golden Fleece. Since Kutaisi has ancient roots and is located on the Rioni River, many believe it to be Aia. In the poem, King Aeetes of Colchis owned the much sought after fleece. Jason needed to retrieve it so he could reclaim his land from his uncle. Before awarding Jason with the fleece, the king gave Jason three tasks to complete. The king’s daughter, Medea, fell in love with Jason and helped him successfully complete these tasks.
Not only does the location of Kutaisi on the Rioni River make it possible that it was Aia, there may have been an actual Golden Fleece. In Svaneti, in Georgia’s Caucasus Mountains, shepherds used sheep skins to collect gold dust as it floated down the river. The skins would be glittering with gold when lifted out of the water. You can read more about Svaneti in our posts. (Coming Soon)
The 3D ceramic bas relief was created by Georgian artist Bernard Nebieridze. While not usually a fan of brutalist artwork, this piece has so many interesting characters, we couldn’t help but be impressed.
Another interesting remnant from Soviet times is Glory to Labour, found close to Kutaisi Central Park.
Four Heritage Bridges
Kutaisi is cut in two by the Rioni River. In addition to a few modern ones, there are four old, unique bridges allowing you to cross the river. Although the bridges are no longer at their best and could use a few touch-ups, they are worth a quick stop.
White Bridge was built in 1851. Its main draw is a statue of a boy about to jump into the river. It’s a character from an old Georgian film and is called Picasso’s Boy. I wouldn’t want to jump into the river today, though. It doesn’t look very deep and there seems to be more rocks than water. Today, it is a pedestrian bridge.
Not far away is Red Bridge, which was built in France in the 1860s. Some say it was built in the same factory as the Eiffel Tower. The bridge’s actual name is Mikhail’s Bridge, for the son of Nikoloz Romanov. It received the nickname Red Bridge because it was originally painted red. Not far away is Chain Bridge. It was built on the site of a 5th century bridge. The current one has an 18th century foundation, but was rebuilt in the 1800s and then again in 1995.
Golden Marquee
Between White and Red Bridges is a historic mansion. We first saw the Golden Marquee from White Bridge. The age of the two-story stone mansion is unknown, but it is thought to be from the 15th to 17th centuries and served as the residence for the Imeretian King.
Cable Car
Beside the Golden Marquee is a 1960s cable car that can take you across the Rioni River and up to Gora Park, an amusement park on top of the hill. The base station is located in the very small Veriko Anjaparidze Square, where you can find a few moss covered nudes.
Bagrati Cathedral
What was once a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bagrati Cathedral’s status was revoked when restoration work didn’t meet UNESCO’s standards. You can see some of the controversial metal construction in the picture below.
It’s still a nice, old church placed high above the city on Ukimerioni Hill. A stone wall once protected the 11th century church, but the old bell tower is all that remains of that wall. Inside the church, the tall stone walls are bare and quite a few of the pillars have been replaced by metal. Because of this, we didn’t bother to take pictures of the interior.
St George’s Armenian Apostolic Church
Not far away from the cathedral is an old Armenian church. It is also a little worse for wear, but from its yard, you look down to the rooftops of the city below, including the Holy Annunciation Church.
Maybe it was the grey skies and rain, but even though there are a few nice sites in Kutaisi, the city didn’t pull at our heart strings. The main reason for visiting the city is to go to some of the sites nearby. We’ll take you to Martvelli Canyon and Prometheus Cave next. Even though Kutaisi may not have the big sites that draw tourists, we were able to fill a day.
Thanks to Leighton, from Leighton Travels for his travel suggestions in Georgia, and especially in Kutaisi.
Georgian Food
What we did enjoy about Kutaisi was the food. We didn’t have a bad or even average meal in all of Georgia, but the food in Kutaisi was the most flavourful. Here are some of our favourite dishes:
Khinkali dumplings are one of Georgia’s best known dishes. We first had it in Kyrgyzstan, and is part of the reason Georgia moved up on our list of countries to visit. The most common ones are filled with meat or mushrooms that float in perfectly seasoned juices. We fell in love with mushroom khinkali and had it almost every day in Georgia. Khinkali can also be served fried or baked, but we preferred the original.
Another dish we enjoyed in Kyrgyzstan and had almost every day in Georiga is Lobio. This kidney bean stew has an earthy flavour thanks to pomegranate juice and crushed walnuts. Served in an earthenware pot, it is often, but not always, served with a piece of dough that has cooked to perfection while the stew is in the oven. It is also usually served with pickles, but we didn’t like Georgian pickles. We found them to be very heavy in vinegar, sometimes, a strong apple cider vinegar.
Another stew that is served similar to lobio is chanakh. It often is meat based, but we had it with mushrooms, eggplants, peppers and tomatoes a few times. Similar to lobio, it is served with a bread cover.
Khachapuri, or cheese bread, is a dish we had before coming to Georgia, and we were excited to have it in the country. Unfortunately, Georgian cheese is very salty, and we didn’t enjoy Khachapuri. Depending on the region you are in, it will come in different shapes. The best known is Adjarian, shaped like a gondola boat, with melted cheese and a barely cooked egg in the middle. Imeretian is like a thin pizza shell stuffed with melted cheese, or Gurian Khachapuri is like a cheese pie. All of these sound delicious, and they would if only the cheese weren’t so salty.
Instead of ordering a typical salad, we loved having pkhali. An assortment of salad greens are minced, mixed with crushed walnuts, garlic and herbs and served almost like a cheese ball.
For snacks, we loved lobiani, which is a round flatbread bread stuffed with kidney bean paste. An alternative is Khabizgina which is the same, except its stuffed with seasoned mashed potatoes. Puri, is a loaf of bread, most similar to a baguette, but usually with a large mid section. It has a crusty outside and spongy inside, and you will likely eat it every day since Georgians love bread.
Tip – The most difficult meal to find in Georgia is breakfast. Georgians typically have coffee and bread with jam in their homes and don’t eat out for breakfast. Finding a restaurant, or even a coffee shop, that opens before 10 or 11 am is very difficult. So we recommend booking a hotel that offers breakfast, or getting an apartment with a kitchen.
Where to stay and eat in Kutaisi
While there aren’t as many large hotels in Kutaisi, there many small, family run hotels and guesthouses. Find one that is walking distance to Kutaisi Central Park. We had the best mushroom Khinkali in all of Georgia in Gala Restaurant. You can find it on the edge of Kutaisi Central Park.
Getting to Kutaisi
Kutaisi International Airport makes it very easy to visit the city. It receives flights from Berlin, Warsaw, Prague, Rome, Istanbul and many more. If you’re already in Georgia, Kutaisi is well connected to the other major cities and nearby towns by marshrutka. Kutaisi Central Bus Station is where all marshrutkas arrive and depart from. Another option if you’re travelling between Kutaisi and Batumi or Tbilisi, is to take the train. There are only a couple of trains a day and they are said to be very slow.
You can find Kutaisi in the middle of the map below. It is an interactive map, so you can zoom-in, or click on a marker for a link to our post from that region.
Getting around Kutaisi
Most of the sites are within walking distance. Unlike Tbilisi, pedestrians don’t seem to have many rights, so cross streets with caution. As well, the sidewalks are often potholed and uneven. Bolt is widely available, as is the new ride-share app Maxim. There are many options for tours to the many sites outside the city. If you prefer to go alone, you can hire GoTrip or Bolt, but with GoTrip you can factor in the waiting time.
This article is now featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Kutaisi.
Click on the link to read our Travel Tips For Georgia.
To read more of our adventures in Georgia, click here.
Coming Next – Day Trips From Kutaisi – Martvili Canyon and Prometheus Cave
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