For virtually a 12 months, I’ve been residing in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital metropolis.
And I’ve spent numerous the summer season months wandering round its numerous inexperienced areas. So in this information, I’ve introduced you a giant juicy listing of the 11 most scenic parks in Tbilisi.
Bring your picnic blanket, pack these sandwiches, and are available be a part of the enjoyable!
1. Dedaena Park
This isn’t probably the most well-known, attention-grabbing, and even stunning park in town. But it takes the celebrated #1 spot just because it’s my favourite park in Tbilisi. Sorry for being biased.
Travelness / Paul McDougal
It has fountains, countless pleasant stray canines, a skate park, occasional reside music, occasional meals markets, and many picnicking locals. I like coming right here with associates, drinks, and a transportable speaker, and sitting for a number of hours.
It’s additionally house to some good locations to eat and drink. For some night enjoyable, try the brand new Rooster bar. It’s a laid-back out of doors area with tasty drinks and sandwiches.
And to take the celebration additional, try Dedaena Bar, which sits contained in the park. For daytime snacks and drinks, the stalls behind the bar serve up some tasty fundamentals.
– by DDohler / licensed below CC BY 2.0
For stress-free in a easy however fairly park, Dedaena is nice.
2. ninth of April Park
On the opposite aspect of the Dry Bridge from Dedaena Park, this little place is inexperienced and engaging… and since it’s near busy Rustaveli Avenue, it’s supreme for escaping town middle bustle with a espresso and a e-book.
It’s fairly good for households with younger youngsters, and also you at all times see little ones working across the park.
There’s not an entire lot to do right here, however it’s peaceable, secure, and inexperienced, and it’s house to some conveniently-placed bogs. It has a pleasant fountain, numerous benches and picnic spots, and a few fairly shrubs and flowers.
And as a result of it’s brimming with massive tall timber, it’s a superb possibility for locating some much-welcome shade in the horrendously-hot summer season months.
3. Rike Park
Rike Park is simply over the river from the Old Town, so it’s tremendous simple to entry (because you’ll be in this space anyway).
Wander west to east over the strangely-futuristic glass-walled Peace Bridge, and also you’ll end up right here.
Landscaped and laconic, it’s clear and comfy. It’s house to a great deal of flowers and benches, a number of sculptures, and a few unusual structure. It additionally has some good views of town—from right here, you may see Narikala Fortress, Mother Georgia, and much extra well-known websites.
If you need to get a more in-depth take a look at all that well-known stuff, there’s a cable automobile working from Rike Park to the highest of Narikala Fortress. And, weirdly, the park can also be house to town’s unusual air balloon, which floats up into the sky and affords panoramic views of town.
All in all, this is likely one of the finest Tbilisi parks for vacationers… so in case you solely have time for one park in town, it is best to make it this one. I reckon it’s prettiest at evening, when the place and its environment are all illuminated.
4. Mziuri Park
I reckon that is probably the most stunning city-center park in Tbilisi.
Most individuals don’t notice how massive Mziuri Park is… you may simply spend a few hours wandering round its colourful confines. The essential entrance is in the upmarket neighborhood of Vake, however it additionally stretches so much additional north.
This park is particularly good when you’ve got youngsters—it has unusual sculptures of kooky characters, a duck-filled lake, a skate park, a few play parks, a climbing wall, and many tucked-away picnic spots. There’s additionally an amphitheater contained in the park, which typically hosts festivals, performances, and different occasions.
And as a result of it’s a multi-layered funfest with numerous colourful and inventive staircases, it’s a pleasant place to get misplaced for some time.
In summer season and late spring, the park is tremendous stunning and feels very completely different from the remainder of town. I completely suggest it.
While you’re in the park, be sure to go to Mziuri Cafe, which sits contained in the southern a part of the place. It’s stress-free and comfortable, it has a pleasant out of doors space, and it serves up tasty parts of wholesome meals. On Mondays, they provide solely meat-free meals.
5. Vake Park
Next up, one other Vake possibility.
Right now, this place is present process a giant fats bunch of ugly restoration. So as I write this, some elements of the park aren’t in an ideal state—however, normally, it’s probably the most stunning parks in Tbilisi.
… as a result of it’s been below development for a seemingly-endless interval of many months, it hopefully gained’t be very lengthy till its entirety is tremendous stunning once more.
Anyway, it’s an enormous place, and it sits simply to the south of the neighborhood’s essential highway. It has numerous benches and fountains, and a few good tracks for biking and working. It additionally has a basketball courtroom, tennis courts, and a cable automobile working all the way in which as much as Turtle Lake (however extra on that place later). And proper on the highest level of the park, there’s a towering WW2 statue.
Vake Park is fashionable with households and picnickers, and the steps are a widely known working spot for individuals who love punishing themselves by slogging uphill (together with me).
Because it’s fairly enormous, Vake Park is an effective place to spend a few hours, and it’s fashionable for household picnics. If you’re right here with youngsters, try the child-friendly amusement space, with some small rides and snack bars.
6. Mtatsminda Park
If you’re on the hunt for panoramic views (and Tbilisi has a great deal of them), that is probably the most stunning park in Tbilisi.
But as a result of it’s so massive (and primarily as a result of it sits on the flattened plateau of a giant city-center mountain) it feels extra like a resort than a park.
Up right here, you’ll discover a great deal of enjoyable stuff. Mtatsminda Park has fairground rides (together with a rollercoaster, water slides, and a carousel), a classy-but-affordable restaurant, a funicular, numerous avenue meals, some occasional festivals, and much extra kid-friendly stuff.
Whether you’re touring with youngsters or not, you must also experience on the park’s enormous Ferris Wheel, which affords nice views of town and its mountains.
Halfway between Mtatsminda Park and town middle, there’s a reasonably church and pantheon, the place numerous well-known Georgians are buried.
Last of all, Mtatsminda Park can also be a sensible choice for mountaineering and path working. If you stroll (or dash) from right here to the ruinous stays of Narikala Fortress, you get tons extra nice views of town.
Travelness / Paul McDougal
And you may even use your two little ft to get from right here to Turtle Lake… however extra on that place later.
7. Central Park
Calling this place stunning might be a bit imaginative. But I genuinely assume it’s engaging in a kind of oddly-apocalyptic approach.
A racetrack-shaped feat of a desolate lack of landscaping, Central Park is nice for working—it’s round, it has a observe working round its perimeter, and it’s by no means significantly busy.
But it’s not simply good for working—as a result of it’s flat and huge, it’s a superb place to let little ones discover with out them getting misplaced. And as a result of Central Park is sandwiched between the districts of Saburtalo and Vake, it affords countless residential views of the world’s skyscrapers, tower blocks, and weird avenue artwork.
It additionally feels wild and untouched, and also you’ll usually discover numerous pleasant avenue canines right here.
So, yeah, this place isn’t engaging in the normal sense. But there’s positively one thing stunning about it.
8. National Botanical Garden
Is a botanical backyard really a park? I don’t know—however this place is certainly stunning.
It’s house to a waterfall, a river, some uncommon futuristic buildings, a bamboo grove, and an entire load of various timber, vegetation, and flowers. The place encompasses a huge assortment of 4,500 completely different taxonomic teams (no matter that even means). It additionally has a small Japanese Garden, a youngsters’ park, and a prolonged zipline.
And it’s a lot larger than most individuals notice… it measures in at an enormous 161 hectares. You can simply wander round the National Botanical Garden for two or 3 hours with out retracing your steps.
Best of all, it’s proper in the middle of town, hiding simply behind Narikala Fortress—so you may simply go to the park when you’re wandering round all of the well-known highlights.
If you want vegetation, you’ll clearly love this place. But even in case you don’t, you’ll have a superb time anyway—I’ve no curiosity in flowers, and I nonetheless just like the backyard.
It’s after all at its finest throughout spring and summer season… I don’t suggest visiting throughout another time of 12 months.
9. Lisi Lake
Alright, this place positively isn’t a park.
But it’s a giant out of doors inexperienced area that’s excellent for picnicking, exploring, and spending time with individuals. If that’s not parkish sufficient for you, I sincerely apologize.
Lisi Lake itself is comparatively fairly, and it has a paved highway working round its whole perimeter—it’s supreme for a delicate stroll or a mini bike experience. But if you need a greater journey, head to the 2 ridges simply to the north of the lake.
The higher ridge in specific has an entire load of nice hikes—to villages, lakes, crucifixes, and extra. If you need distant enjoyable simply on the outskirts of town, that is the very best place to search out it.
The #1 stroll it is best to sort out is that this: head west to Tsodoreti earlier than then ascending the height of Natlismtsemeli mountain. Come down the opposite aspect of the mountain, by way of a small fairly lake and also you’ll attain the Azeri settlement of Mskhaldidi.
Travelness / Paul McDougal
Oh, and for an additional wonderful journey, head to Dog Organization Georgia, a canine shelter simply west of the lake. Here, you may meet among the metropolis’s rescue canines, and take them with you in your adventures across the lake. Massively really useful!
10. Turtle Lake
Turtle Lake is fairly much like Lisi Lake—it’s not an precise park, however it has numerous wonderful out of doors stuff. Highlights embrace play areas, mountaineering trails, biking trails, picnic spots, calisthenics exercise zones, and… as you most likely astutely intuited from the title of the place… a lake.
Other highlights embrace a prolonged zipline, rentable paddle boats, and the rickety-but-fun old-school cable automobile that runs from the lake to Vake Park. And once you tire of all of the motion, there are some good locations to eat and drink—meat-heavy Buri BBQ is my favourite.
Turtle Lake is a pleasant compromise between busy and quiet—though there are masses to do right here, it’s by no means significantly bustling.
If you desire a larger journey, you may stroll all the way in which from Turtle Lake to Mtatsminda Park. It’s a surprisingly simple stroll, however it’s filled with sensible views. For a shorter possibility, it is best to as a substitute wander to the lofty determine of Svan Tower, with nice views of the lake.
Just beneath the park, there’s town’s Open Air Museum of Ethnography, one other engaging out of doors space. It’s stuffed with old-style buildings and affords a pleasant combo of fine views, fairly inexperienced areas, and a giant ol’ slice of insightful historical past.
11. Tbilisi National Park
Last up, the most important park of all of them.
Tbilisi National Park is simply to the northeast of town middle, and it’s among the best nationwide parks in the nation. It was additionally the primary nationwide park in Georgia, and it measures in at a surprisingly huge 210 sq. kilometers (81 sq. miles).
It’s stuffed with nice hikes, and since a significant highway runs by the park, all of the enjoyable is tremendous simple to entry.
The finest introductory wander right here is the Big Viewpoint Trail (which, regardless of its title, is definitely fairly simple). A much-more-challenging possibility is the Mamkoda Loop, which clocks in at a hefty 38km (23.5 miles).
This loop takes you to each Martkopi Monastery and Mamkoda Monastery. Even in case you don’t need to hike to them, it is best to go to them each—just about all of Georgia’s greatest inexperienced areas are filled with non secular buildings, and these are each good examples.
If you’re searching for one thing somewhat completely different, try the park’s bear sanctuary (which can also be house to wolves and canines). Here, you may feed the bears—and watch them chow down on 20kg of fruit in about 10 minutes.
Before You Go
That’s your fill—the 11 most stunning parks in Tbilisi!
For far more info on exploring Georgia’s super-lovable capital, try our guides on all of the issues town is known for, and the highest 17 causes I like the place.
Thanks for studying, thanks for trying out Travelness, and we’ll see you once more quickly!
