Things to do in Batumi, Georgia - 16 tips for a Black Sea gem

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What to do in Batumi, on the Black Sea? A popular holiday destination with a subtropical climate, Batumi is unlike anything else we've seen and experienced in Georgia. Here are our top tips for things to see and do in Batumi.

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Batumi on the Black Sea

Batumi is the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, which is part of Georgia. It is the second largest city in the country after the capital, Tbilisi, and is also an important port city. What fascinates you when you arrive here is the setting of fanciful skyscrapers, mixed with historic buildings, parks, palm trees, beaches and hospitable people.

Batumi is located on the Black Sea, about 360 kilometres west of Tbilisi.

What to do in Batumi?

So what can you see and do in Batumi? First and foremost, you can enjoy the holiday feeling, but there is also a lot to see and do. We've put together a list of our top tips.

1. stroll along Batumi Boulevard

Batumi Boulevard is a seven kilometre boulevard that runs along the coast. You can walk or cycle here, and along the way you can expect to see palm trees, sculptures and special buildings. You can pass the Batumi Summer Theatre and a Japanese garden, among others.

2. Sunbathe and swim on Batumi Beach

Batumi, which has a subtropical climate, is warm for much of the summer and has a long beach running the length of the city. You can count on pebbles and here and there you will find sun loungers and small beach bars.

3. Be mesmerised by Batumi's skyscrapers

What is special about Batumi, and what sets it apart from the rest of the country, are its skyscrapers. There are a lot of really tall hotels and corporate buildings, and the design is often a bit "wild and crazy".

What about rounded houses, slanted houses and leaning houses?

One of the towers has a Ferris wheel (not in use) built into the façade and another tower (Alphabetic Tower) displays all 33 Georgian letters.

4. Hang out in 6 May Park

6 May Park is a large green park in a central location in Batumi. In the centre of the park is a large lake, where it is popular to kayak or pedal around in a pedal boat, perhaps one shaped like a swan. Others have picnics or walk their dogs.

5. Strolling in Miracle Park

Miracle Park is another park-like area where you'll find Batumi's historic 1882 lighthouse and the city's Ferris wheel.

The area is relaxed and touristy with palm trees, statues, shops and vendors selling drinks, snacks and ice cream. In summer, you'll find several stalls selling the fermented fruit drink quasi (kvass).

At one end of the park is a sheltered marina with all kinds of private small boats, mixed with excursion boats.

6. Watch Ali & Nino "become one"

By far the most famous sculpture in Batumi is found in Miracle Park and is named 'Ali & Nino'. The 8 metre high steel figures, representing a woman and a man, slowly move towards each other, finally "becoming one" and passing through each other. The process is repeated every 10 minutes.

The sculpture was created by the renowned Georgian artist Tamar Kvesitadze. The name of the artwork, Ali and Nino, refers to a novel by Azerbaijani writer Kurban Said. The novel tells the tragic love story of Ali Shirvashir, a Muslim man from Azerbaijan, and Nino Kipiani, a Christian woman from Georgia. The statue, created in 2010, aims to be a symbol of love, regardless of nationality and religion.

7. Discover the old town and the Turkish quarters

It is not easy to know which houses are new or old in Batumi - as there are also new houses built in the old style - but there are historical parts of the city. One way to discover these parts, and learn a little more about the city, is to join a guided tour.

There is a Turkish minority in the city, and in the Turkish neighbourhoods you will find baklava, Turkish Delight, Turkish coffee and even a mosque.

Check out the Italian-inspired square Batumi Square, adorned with beautiful arches and stately hotels. If you pass the Batumi Clock Tower at the right time of day (12, 15, 18 or 21 o'clock), you can look up at the tower - the small doors above the gate will open and two figures will emerge.

8. Spana in Europe Square

Europe Square is a popular square in Batumi surrounded by beautiful and grand buildings, some of which are historical and others new, but built in historical style.

In the square you will also find a statue of Medea holding the Golden Fleece, which is a symbol of the glory and cultural development of the ancient Kingdom of Colchis on the Black Sea. The statue in the square is a reminder of Georgia's ties to the rest of Europe, which date back to ancient times.

9. Admire beautiful churches

There are a number of beautiful churches in Batumi, as well as a synagogue and a mosque. The most magnificent church may be the one named Holy Mother Virgin Nativity Cathedral.

We never looked past that particular church, but instead we looked into St Nicholas Church, located right next to the Batumi Clock Tower. A very nice Orthodox church!

10. Find peace in the Batumi Botanical Garden

In Batumi there is a marvellous botanical garden, named Batumi Botanical Garden. Batumi's subtropical climate allows plants from many parts of the world to thrive and thaw here. The large park, located with an incredible view of the Black Sea, has trees, shrubs and flowers from most continents.

Signs indicate when you are in the North American section, the South-East Asian section or the New Zealand section. You can either walk around at your leisure or, for an extra fee, you can get around in small electric minibuses.

If it all feels too for calmly, you can raise your adrenaline levels with a zipline ride, over the Black Sea.

11. Hiking in Unesco-protected national parks

In 2021, four Georgian natural sites were granted World Heritage status, under a UNESCO legacy named "Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands". Three of these parks - Mtirala National Park, Kobuleti protected area and Kintrishi protected area - is located in Adjara, with Batumi as the starting point for all of them.

12. visit the Nobel Brothers Batumi Technological Museum

The museum with the name Nobel Brothers Batumi Technological Museum feels a little extra interesting for us Swedes, but who were these Nobel brothers really?

The Nobel brothers are Ludvig and Robert Nobel, brothers of the more famous Alfred Nobel in Sweden. Together, the brothers started the Russian oil company Branobel. The oil was extracted in Baku in present-day Azerbaijan and transported - first by train and later by pipeline - to Batumi in present-day Georgia, where it could be shipped to Europe.

The brothers had capital from their father's arms factory in St Petersburg and were also skilled engineers and inventors.

The small museum in Batumi is of the simpler model with texts and artefacts, but as a Swede it is still very interesting to come here.

13. Take a trip to the Gonio-Apsaro Fortress

One thing to do in Batumi, if you like history, is to visit the Gonio-Apsaros Fortress. The fortress, which you can find 15 kilometres south of Batumi, was already in the 2nd century AD a fortified Roman city in the kingdom of Colchis, famous for its theatre and hippodrome.

What you see today is a mighty wall with 18 towers. There is also a museum, with artefacts found during excavations, as well as some reconstructed scenes and battle equipment, which tell us what life might have been like back then.

14. Try Georgian food from Adjara

Eating Georgian food is an experience! When you go to a Georgian restaurant, it is common to order a variety of dishes that everyone shares. Common dishes include bread, cheese, chatjapuri (cheese bread), pkhali (vegetable stir-fries), salads, vegetarian dishes (often with aubergine or walnuts), dumplings, stews and grilled meat. These dishes are often accompanied by Georgian wine, which is both distinctive and has a very long history.

Batumi is located in the autonomous republic of Adjara, and it also has its own special food traditions. The most famous is 'Adjara chatjapuri', which is a cheese bread shaped like a boat, with an egg in the centre.

Other local specialities include, among others borano (dish with cheese), sinister (rolled flatbread with butter and cheese) and sand coffee - a coffee that is heated in sand and is similar to Turkish coffee. We had really good Georgian food, and tried the traditional coffee, at the Old Boulevard restaurant.

15. learn how to cook "Adjara chatjapuri"

Why not learn to cook Adjara chatjapuri, and why not learn from the best? Chef Gia Agirba, of the Alaverdi restaurant, is renowned for his version of the dish. Not only did we get to taste it, we also got to try our hand at making our own lunch.

The dough is made from wheat, and the pastry is shaped like a boat and filled with lots of cheese. At the end, an egg is cracked and the whole thing is baked in a large oven.

The story behind it is that the wives welcomed the husbands, who worked at sea, home with a boat-shaped dish, where the eggs symbolise the sun.

So how do you eat this delicacy? Well, the curd and egg are mixed with butter. Then you break the bread and eat it with your hands. Very tasty and very rich!

16. shopping

Shopping is often fun when you're abroad, especially in countries where the offer can be a little different from home. In Batumi you can find everything from exciting fashion to local souvenirs. Popular products to bring home include Georgian wine, churchkhela (a kind of snack consisting of nuts soaked in grape juice, mixed with flour), ceramics, spices, jewellery, embroidered fabrics, artwork and fluffy headwear.

More to do in Batumi

Want even more tips on things to do in Batumi? Here you will find some more suggestions.

• Adzjarian Archaeological Museum showcases over 23 000 artefacts from different periods in history.
• Batumi fish market is a popular place to buy fresh fish, and if you want, you can have it cooked in a restaurant.
• Batumoba is a festival held every year on 28 April, commemorating the granting of city status to Batumi in 1888.
• Birdwatching is very popular between late August and mid-October, when over a million birds of prey migrate through the air.
• Cable car Argo can take you to the top of Mount Anuria.
• Street art, sculptures and mosaics there are plenty of them in Batumi. For example, check out the "Octopus", created in mosaic.

Where to stay in Batumi?

There are of course many different hotels to choose from in Batumi. We stayed two nights at the Radisson Blu in the centre of Batumi, and from this hotel we had a perfect starting point for visiting the city. There is a nice breakfast buffet in the mornings, and as a hotel guest you have access to the swimming pool and fitness centre.

There are two restaurants in the hotel - a Georgian one at street level and an Asian one from one of the higher floors. Here we had a marvellous Asian dinner one evening, with a great view of the city and its nightly spectacle.

More to do in Georgia

There is plenty to see and do in Georgia. You can travel to the third largest city Kutaisi and to the capital Tbilisi. If you are interested in history, we can recommend the cave town of Uplistsikhe and the religious city Mtscheta. For nature experiences you don't want to miss Kazbegi, for spas we can recommend Bordzjomi and for wine experiences you will of course want to go to wine region Kakhetia.

Even more to see and do in Batumi?

Have you visited Batumi? If so, what are your top tips on what to see and do in Batumi? If not, is this a city you are curious about?

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