EXCITING CITIES
TBILISI, Georgia
WHY NOW? Tbilisi has always been a transport
hub, since the days when weary merchants stopped
their caravans for mugs of Georgian wine on their
journeys from Europe into Asia. In 2017, it’s
continuing that tradition, with new Georgian
Airways flights launching from Gatwick to the
most attractive capital in the Caucasus.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT? There are plenty of
reasons to linger in the city, not least in the Old
Town: home to higgledy-piggledy houses with
ornate balconies, and churches with shadowy
frescoed interiors. Watching over the scene is
the Narikala Fortress – a castle with stout walls
and a dramatic clifftop perch, a sometime haunt
of Arab, Persian, Turkish and Russian invaders.
WHAT SHOULDN’T I MISS? Having worked up a
sweat scaling the ramparts of the fortress, descend
to the Abanotubani district in the shadow of the
castle hill. It’s home to Tbilisi’s sulphur baths:curious domed structures where locals have
steamed and scrubbed since the 18th century. There
are a few to choose from, but Royal Bath has
particularly helpful attendants and offers only
mosaic-domed private rooms, so it’s perfect if you
don’t fancy stripping off in front of strangers;
towel-clad locals shuffle about the dimly lit
corridors beyond and there’s a sitting area where you
can sip tea or beer. After emerging freshly exfoliated,
take a five-minute walk to Organique Josper Bar, a
smart new restaurant and bar on the edge of
Abanotubani. Here, customers pick from 16
Georgian vintages served by the glass, originating
from distant corners of the country that has a
credible claim to have invented wine eight millennia
ago (from £3; restorganique.com).
HOW DO I GET THERE? Emirates flies to Gatwick from
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. From here, Georgian
Airways flies twice weekly from Gatwick to Tbilisi
International airport (from £350; airzena.com).With its origins in the
fourth century AD, Tbilisi’s
Narikala Fortress looms
over the Georgian capital