Tbilisi — Georgia's warm heart

2-min read

Tbilisi has been Georgia’s capital for some fifteen centuries, folded into the gorge of the Mtkvari river between Mtatsminda hill and the Narikala fortress. Its name comes from “tbili” — warm — after the hot sulfur springs the city was founded on.

It has been burned and rebuilt dozens of times by Persians, Arabs, Mongols and Turks — which is why the old town is a layer cake: carved wooden balconies over brick bathhouse domes, a synagogue, a mosque and churches within a few minutes’ walk of each other.

🎒 Tbilisi is best after sunset, when the heat drops and the fortress and bridges light up — perfect for a first-evening stroll after the welcome dinner.