We spent three nights in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi and enjoyed both a guided tour and free time.
Rustaveli Avenue, the central 1.5km long main thoroughfare, is named after the medieval Georgian poet, Shota Rustaveli. At its northern end is a statue of Rustaveli and the metro station named after him, whilst at the southern end, is Freedom Square.
A self-guided walk in Lonely Planet took us past the five-star glass skyscraper of the Biltmore Hotel, Museum of Modern Art, Georgian National Opera House, and Rustaveli Theatre.
We were keen to visit the National Gallery to see the works of Pirosmani, Georgia’s most famous painter, having seen some of his less famous work in Sighnaghi. We were therefore disappointed to find his paintings on a tour of Denmark and Switzerland, so we took a break in the April 9 Park behind, before continuing past the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts and Parliament building.
At the Georgian National Museum, 60 Lari for two (nearly £10 each) we began on the 4th floor which told us about the Soviet Occupation of Georgia when many clerics, and intellectuals were killed between 1921 and 1991. We found other floors less interesting with archaeological exhibits and information about the wildlife, flora and fauna of Georgia. However, in the basement there was a dazzling display of pre-Christian gold, silver and precious-stone work from burials in Georgia going back to the 3rd millennium BC.
We finished our half-day tour at Freedom Square, previously Lenin Square, where we found a tall column topped with a golden statue of St. George slaying the dragon, and a cold, reviving beer.
See also:
Sightseeing in Tbilisi – Part 1 – The Left Bank
Sightseeing in Tbilisi – Part 2 – The Right Bank
