What attracts tourists to Tbilisi?

Tbilisi, with its landscape, old districts, unique synthesis of cultures and history, has attracted the attention of many tourists in recent years. People from other countries come here to get to know the diversity of architecture, culture and traditions. The colorful baths and colorful overhanging balconies are eye-catching for many guests. As they say, the appeal of this city lies in its eclecticism. Tourists are fascinated by the contrast between old and new, as Tbilisi coexists with bustling modern streets, Soviet-era architecture, 19th-century cultural heritage, and ancient architectural structures. Persian, European and Soviet influences can be felt on the final appearance of Tbilisi, and as a result, to some extent, we got an interesting architectural landscape.

Guides know the preferences of tourists best. They are the ones who present Tbilisi and share interesting news with the guests. As journalist, blogger and tour guide Zura Balanchivadze points out in a conversation with "Urban Media", the interest of tourists depends on From which country they are visiting Tbilisi.

"Mostly English-speaking tourists come to me. They come from EU countries, the USA, Canada and Australia. These people are mostly interested in history, hidden pearls and architecture in the city. In general, if they come to Georgia, they definitely go to the mountains, for hiking. And in Tbilisi, they are interested in colorful baths, Narikala, it is more foreign to them. We show the streets of Sololak because They don't know the history of the entrances of the old houses of Sololak, they don't know what influence the Soviet Union and communism had," says Zura Balanchivadze.

Zura Balanchivadze has 8 years of experience as a tour guide. Based on this experience, he says that the issues that make a special impression on tourists change over time. According to him, if until now foreign visitors to Tbilisi were interested in the ancient buildings and history, recently they have more questions about what impact it had. Communism, Soviet Union and Russia over Tbilisi.

"We always talked about the Soviet occupation during the tours, however, before the war in Ukraine, tourists did not understand this issue very well. They did not have much information about Russia, Kremlin policy, etc. They could not imagine that all this could have such a big impact. They were not interested, they did not come to Tbilisi to find out what traces the Soviet Union left here. After the war in Ukraine, they are more interested in the political context. Of course, the interest is still in the old Tbilisi tour, but we are also interested in the tour of unknown places - the entrances of Sololak and Mtatsminda, etc. There is also a great interest in the tour of the Soviet occupation," Zura Balanchivadze tells us.

It is also interesting that the hidden pearls of Tbilisi are hidden not only for foreigners. As we found out while talking to Zura Balanchivadze, many Georgians do not know about the historical, interesting and beautiful places in the capital.

"We have an eye on the familiar And this is a natural story. Personally, when I lived in Kutaisi, I did not notice many things. Then, when I started arriving as a tourist, many details surprised me. As I said, our eyes are used to it and we think we know everything. In fact, if we look a little differently, read a little more, we will understand what interesting news is before our eyes. Actually, we don't live in a bad city. We just treat this city badly," says the guide.

At the end of the interview, Zura Balanchivadze also talked about the challenges that Tbilisi is facing in terms of tourism. Even when talking about tourism, we found the root of the problem in chaotic development.

"Actually, the city is getting ugly. Many buildings are being built that cover the old city, distorting its appearance. We don't pay attention to what is old. Buildings are collapsing in front of us, balconies are falling. Yes, some things are being rehabilitated, and that's good, but Tbilisi is falling apart from the outside. If you look at it, it's not a beautiful city anymore. For example, in Prague, you may not need a guide at all, it's just that Walk around the city and enjoy the beauty. A tourist can't find anything in Tbilisi without a guide. In fact, there is not even a 20-meter-long area left here to pass by and be surprised," Zura Balanchivadze tells us.

It is a fact that, along with centuries-old buildings, the entrances hidden behind the facades also attract the interest of tourists. Especially since there is an interesting history behind each such building and entrance, and the tolerant, diverse and different character of old Tbilisi is clearly visible.

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Post author: travelnews.ge