Four times a week, the BA Airbus A320 leaves London Heathrow at 9.25pm. Midnight comes as flight BA890 crosses German airspace into Austria, local time. At this point, the plane is barely a quarter of its journey to the Georgian capital. But the advantage of taking the five-hour flight is that, with the three-hour time difference, you arrive at the start of a new day in a new land.
Georgia, a small country located on the crossroads of Europe and Asia, is home to the world’s earliest known winemaking sites. The country has a diverse geography, from the Black Sea coast to the west, to the Caucasus Mountains running through the north and south of the country. Running through it is the Mtkvari River (also known as the Kura), which flows through Tbilisi.
The capital dates back to the fifth century AD, and has a diverse architectural landscape reflecting its turbulent history – including medieval, neoclassical and Soviet eras. Thinking of visiting? These are my highlights.
Read more: Inside Europe’s undiscovered gastronomic haven of £2 wine and low-cost food
1. Meidan Bazaar
Tbilisi has been a trading point for centuries, located along the Silk Road where Europe, Russia, Central Asia and Persia converge. At the heart of the cobblestoned Old Town, the ancient district of Kala is home to the bazaar, the oldest trade centre in the Caucasus region, dating back 1,500 years.
The bazaar has been updated and moved underground. However, this shopping area still hosts an expansive range of local products: Georgian wines, elaborate ceremonial swords, traditional pottery and churchkhela – the local sweet treat, comprising strings of nuts that have been dipped into concentrated grape juice.
2. Georgian Museum of Fine Arts
Located directly opposite the Georgian Parliament along the historic Rustaveli Avenue, this private modern art museum opened in 2018 and houses more than 3,500 works by 100-plus Georgian artists. The museum was founded by the Jokhtaberidze family, founders of the nation’s largest telecom firm, with the aim of collecting, restoring and preserving Georgian art.
The museum tells the stories of artists during the Soviet rule…
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