Tbilisi and Mtskheta

What to expect

Overview walk around Tbilisi
You will walk along Rustaveli Avenue, framed by centuries-old plane trees, where you will hear the history of ancient buildings and stories about their inhabitants. You will pass along the street where Alexander Pushkin once lived, and Baratashvili Street, where remnants of the ancient fortress wall are preserved. You will see Anchiskhati Church - the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the oldest preserved church in Tbilisi. Through the narrow streets of the Old Town, you will reach the Bridge of Peace, and then visit a 17th-century wine cellar where you can taste and, if desired, buy Georgian wine. In the area of the Sulfur Baths, I will tell you about the origins of the city's history, and the completion of the overview walk in Tbilisi will be a visit to the waterfall in the Fig Gorge.

Ancient spirit in the town of Mtskheta
Following the Military-Georgian Road, you will head to the ancient city of Mtskheta. Turning off the road, you will visit places where events described by Lermontov in the poem "Mtsyri" unfolded, and climb to the Jvari Monastery of the 6th century - from here you will have a captivating view of Mtskheta. In Mtskheta itself, you will visit Svetitskhoveli Cathedral - the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Here is the burial place of the relics of Christianity - the robe of Jesus Christ and the mantle of the Prophet Elijah, as well as the remains of Andrew the First-Called. Next, you will walk to the Samtavro Monastery, where the tomb of the first Georgian Christian king Mirian and his wife Queen Nana is located, as well as the remains of the holy elder Gabriel of Samtavro. Additionally, you will see and be able to touch the blackberry bush under which St. Nina lived and preached. The "Blackberry Bush", repeatedly cut down by barbarians and reborn, is considered miraculous. And after the excursion, if desired, you can have lunch at a cozy local restaurant.