Some visit Batumi for the beaches, some for the nightlife, but we enjoyed finding the treasure trove of architecture in a variety of styles. There are modern towers, heritage hotels, and even remnants from the Ottoman Empire. Together, they combine to make a great, but rainy, city.
Its deep Black Sea harbour is what first attracted the Greeks and then the Romans to Batumi. Unfortunately, not much is left of those early days. In the 15th century, the Ottoman Empire overthrew local Georgian leaders, and they remained in Batumi until the end of the Russo-Turkish War in the 1800s. With that background and its location, only 20 kilometres from the Turkish border, it won’t take long before you notice the large Turkish influence in the city.
Batumi is the capital of Adjara, and as a result of the region’s history, it has a distinct culture from the rest of Georgia. Locals became Christian in the 7th century, but converted to Islam under the Ottoman Empire’s rule. In fact, approximately 40% of Adjarians are still practicing Muslims today. Although they changed religions, they maintained speaking Laz, a Kartvelian language that is in the same group as Georgian. They also continued many of their ancestral customs. Adjara became part of the Russian Empire at the end of the 1800s and later came under the Soviet Union. It was granted autonomous status under the Soviets and has maintained that distinction, calling itself the Autonomous Republic of Adjara.
Today, Batumi is a very popular beach destination, but the climate doesn’t match our idea of what a beach town should be. With an average annual rainfall of over 2,400 mm (95in), Batumi is the rainiest city in the country, and has no real dry season. We were told it can rain five or six times a day, and we certainly experienced that in our few days in the city.
The beach didn’t interest us anyway, so we sought other things to see and were able to find quite a few. Let us show you what there is to see and do in Batumi, other than the beach.
Old Batumi
Today, you can easily see Batumi’s varied history in the diversity of buildings. Walking through the old city, we passed Turkish restaurants, shisha bars and Turkish delights shops. Next, we walked beside old Russian Empire buildings; some restored and others not. Not far away are Soviet style, functional, but not pretty apartment blocks.
The majority of the best-kept heritage buildings are Russian. Batumi’s large port brought considerable wealth to Russian leaders in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, you can still find traces of that old wealth in the city’s Old Town, which boasts an assortment of ornate heritage buildings.
Poking above these heritage buildings are modern hotels and towers, which we’ll take a closer look at later.
Europe Square
The streets in the historic centre, take you between the many squares. Bordered by lovely old, European-style row houses on one side, Europe Square almost makes you feel as though you’ve wandered into Europe. But the updated casinos on the other side, remind you that you are in Batumi.
At one end of the large square is a quirky building that looks like a fairytale castle. Not only does the reconstructed National Bank Building feature a pointy princess roof, it also has an astronomical clock on its tower. Built in 2010 in Germany, in addition to telling the time, the clock displays the position of the sun, moon and zodiac constellations.
In the centre of the square is the modern Medea Monument. Wrapped around the column are stories from the Greek epic tale of Jason and the Argonauts. The legend says that the group sailed up the Rioni River to Aia, present day Kutaisi. The mouth of the river is only 70 km away from Batumi, linking the city to the fable. At the top of the monument, a statue of Medea, King Aeetes’ daughter, proudly holds the Golden Fleece.
Theatre Square
A few blocks away from Europe Square is Theatre Square, home to the Batumi Drama Theatre. It is sometimes referred to as Neptune Square because of the golden statue of Neptune at the top of a fountain. It is said to have been inspired by Neptune Fountain in Bologna.
Piazza Square
Although not old, Piazza Square is designed to look like it is. Opened in 2010, the ornate plaza was inspired by Venetian art and includes a mosaic floor at its centre. Surrounding the square are boutique hotels, as well as bars and restaurants.
St. Nicholas Church
Kitty corner to Piazza Square is St. Nicholas Church. The dark blue interior walls, decorated with frescoes, make it one of the prettiest churches we saw in Georgia. It was built in the mid-1800s when the local Greek population received permission from the Ottoman Empire to build a church. The Muslim rulers wouldn’t allow the ringing of church bells, so the bell tower was added later. Today, it is a Georgian Orthodox Church.
A strict dress code is enforced. Women must wear long skirts and cover their hair. Men must wear pants and remove headwear.
Orta Jame
Built by the Ottomans in the 1800s, Orta Jame is also known as Batumi Central Mosque. Its monochrome exterior contrasts with the colourful ceiling and columns inside. It still operates as a mosque for the local Muslim population.
Visitors are welcome, but must adhere to the dress code. Women must cover their hair, both men and women must wear long pants, and remove their shoes at the door.
Holy Mother Virgin Nativity Cathedral
Its matching tall, pointed bell towers on either side of a rose window, is an uncommon style of church in Georgia. That’s because it was built in the late 1800s as a Roman Catholic Church.
The building’s interior combines the original brown and cream-coloured pillars and archways with a typical Georgian Orthodox design. The pews were removed, the pillars hold portraits of saints, and there is an iconostasis at the front. It is often referred to as Batumi Cathedral.
In addition to these main religious sites, we saw a few other churches and synagogues in the city’s downtown.
Batumi Boulevard
Located on the shore of the Black Sea, this 7 km long seaside promenade is a popular spot. Take a walk from the Japanese Garden, at one end of Batumi Boulevard, to Miracle Park at the other. On the way, you’ll pass several peaceful gardens with fountains and statues.
Miracle Park, at the far end, has a little more action. You’ll find an assortment of amusement rides as well as boats waiting to take you on trips on the Black Sea. If you prefer you could rent a Seadoo or go parasailing.
From this end of the walk, you can also see some of Batumi’s modern buildings. Batumi Tower, with a Ferris wheel near its top, and the spiral-shapes Alphabet Tower are the most eclectic.
There are quite a few beach bars here too, where you can stop for a glass of wine or beer with a view of the Black Sea.
On the other side of Batumi Boulevard is a long stretch of beaches. They are pebble beaches, though, and between the rocks and the weather, we were not at all tempted to lie on the beach, even on a sunbed.
You can continue to walk all the way to Batumi Sea Port, where the atmosphere changes again. When we were there, dozens of fishermen were sitting with their rods in the water, catching sardines, while getting drunk on cha cha. In the distance you can see the large tankers of the shipping port.
May 6 Park
This large park, in the middle of the city, is another nice spot. Its palm, magnolia and willow trees surround the man-made Nuri Lake. As with the other parks, there are many statues, including one of Fadiko Gogitidze, the first Georgian female pilot who was born in Adjara.
The park is overlooked by tall, modern hotels and would be a nice part of the city to stay in.
Batumi Botanical Garden
While the rain may not be suitable for lying on the beach, it has given Batumi lush gardens and dense forests. You can see a lot of this vegetation in the many city parks, but the real place to see what can grow here is in the Batumi Botanical Garden.
What began as a private garden belonging to a local botanist, has expanded into a massive public park. Batumi Botanical Gardens covers 108 hectares (270 acres) and showcases a collection of trees, bushes and flowers from the Caucasus, Asia, Australia, South America, the Himalayas, Mexico, the Mediterranean and others.
There are paved walking paths that take you through the large garden. It’s so large, though, that it’s unlikely you can see it all in one trip. Maps are available online and are posted throughout the gardens, so you can make a plan if there’s something specific you want to see.
Don’t forget to stop at one of the viewpoints of the Black Sea and Batumi.
Entry Fee – 20 GEL (€6.40), Opening Hours – Times vary throughout the year, but are generally open from 9am until 6:30pm, daily.
How to get to Batumi Botanical Gardens
The gardens are only 9 km outside the city, so Bolt will not be too pricey. Another option is to take public transportation. Marshrutka 31, city buses10 and 10a travel from various points in Batumi and pass by the gardens.
Getting to Batumi
This popular beach destination is easy to access. The international airport receives flights from Germany, Poland, Turkey and Russia, among others.
To reach Batumi from Tbilisi, you have a few options. Buses leave from Ortachala Bus Terminal several times day (6-7hours), arriving at Batumi Central Bus Station. Marshrutkas depart from a lot near Didube Metro Station, every hour (5-6 hours) and arrive at Argo Cable Car Station. There is also a train that travels between the two (4-5 hours). Batumi is also well connected to other parts of Georgia by marshrutka including Kutaisi, Akhaltsikhe, Zugdidi and Mestia. They depart from Batumi Intercity Bus Station, located near the train station.
You can also travel to Trabzon, Turkey by bus, or private transfer.
Borjomi is located in the lower left side of the map below. It is an interactive map, so you can zoom-in, or click on a marker to find a link to our post from that region.
Where to stay in Batumi
The city is quite spread out so staying in Old Town is the best neighbourhood. Here you can find many hotels, apartments and hostels for every budget. Closer to the beaches you can find many large, international chain hotels.
Where to eat in Batumi
There is a larger variety of restaurants in Batumi than we found anywhere else in Georgia. It’s difficult to go a block without finding a restaurant offering Georgian or international cuisine.
There are a few foods specific to their region to keep in mind. Adjara Kachapuri is one of their most famous dishes. The bread is in the shape of gondola, and is filled with cheese with has an egg in the middle. It was originally made by fishermen’s wives so they would have a hearty meal when at sea. Another is Sinori. Leighton from Leighton Travels introduced us to this cheesy lasagna style dish using layers of pastry.
When to visit Batumi
This area receives a lot of rain year round. April, May and June get the least amount of rain and temperatures are highest in July and August. Even in the dryer months, it rains, an average of 14 days a month.
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 Batumi.
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