The Borjomi train station.
Friday morning we took a marshrutka to Borjomi, and decided to spend the day here. Quite a lovely town; an old spa resort that was fashionable in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s after the mineral water springs were discovered by some Russian officers. Now it’s popular in the summer with tourists and in the winter due to its proximity to Bakuriani, one of two ski resorts in Georgia. The main road stretches between the river and the mountains, with shops on one side and a pleasant strip of park overlooking the river on the other. On the other side of the river is the Borjomi Mineral Water Park.
Borjomi.
Khatuna
Frescoes from the church on the promenade.
Frescoes from the church on the promenade.
Frescoes from the church on the promenade.
Frescoes from the church on the promenade.
Frescoes from the church on the promenade.
At the mtsvadi restaurant in Akhaldaba.
We arrived in Borjomi around one, and looked around for a place to have lunch. A friendly young man at the information center in the park just off Rustaveli told us the best place to have mtsvadi was a little village a few kilometers away called Akhaldaba, so we made our way there and had a great lunch. The restaurant had a series of balconies projecting over a little brook, and served great food.
Mtsvadi lunch...
Climbing up the hill overlooking the river in Akhaldaba.
After lunch, we climbed the hill on the other side of the road from the restaurant. It rose up steeply between the road and the river below, offering beautiful views of the valley.
Khatuna on the hilltop.
The Mtkvari winding through the mountains from Borjomi.
The mountains of Samtskhe-Javakheti, near Akhaldaba.
Filed under: Travel
