Tbilisi and Mtskheta

What to expect

Overview walk in Tbilisi
You will walk along Rustaveli Avenue, lined with centuries-old plane trees, where you will hear the history of ancient buildings and stories about their inhabitants. You will pass by the street where Alexander Pushkin once lived, and Baratashvili Street, where remnants of an ancient fortress wall are preserved. You will see the Anchiskhati Church - the church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the oldest surviving church in Tbilisi. You will walk through the narrow streets of the Old Town to 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 conclusion of the overview walk in Tbilisi will be a visit to the waterfall in the Fig Gorge.

Ancient spirit in the city of Mtskheta
Heading down the Military-Georgian Road, you will visit the ancient city of Mtskheta. Stepping off the road, you will visit places where events described by Lermontov in the poem 'Mtsyri' took place, and climb to the Jvari Church of the 6th century - from here you will have a captivating view of Mtskheta. In Mtskheta itself, you will visit the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral - the patriarchal cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Here lies the burial place of Christian relics - 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 Church, where the tomb of the first Georgian Christian king Mirian and his wife - Queen Nana is located, as well as the relics 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 regrowing time and time again, is considered miraculous. After the excursion, if desired, you can have lunch at a cozy local restaurant.