In Georgia’s second city (the capital of Adjara), we parked next to the promenade strolling along Batumis bulvari. With a backdrop of mist-wrapped hills and soaring snow-capped peaks, Batumi is a charismatic place with a charming Old Town fronted by the calm waters of the Black Sea. The city’s name comes from the location of its first settlement, on the left bank of the Bat River. With a history dating from the 1st millennium BC, Batumi was ceded by Turkey to Russia in 1878. All the highlights of the city were just a few steps from us – Alphabet Tower (145m-high monument to Georgian script and culture), Batumi Tower (Georgia’s tallest 200m-high building), Evropas Moedani (main square surrounded by beautiful belle-époque buildings), Ali & Nino (7m-high, ethereally moving, a metal sculpture of Azerbaijan prince and Georgian princess), Ortajame Mosque (Batumi’s only surviving mosque, built in the 1860s) and station of the 2.6km-long cable car (🎫 30 GEL/return) which brought us up to Anuria Hill, 250m above Batumi, for panoramic views over the city.
Parking location – Batumi: 41.653930N 41.642025E (🅿️-10 GEL/24 hrs, 🚻-1 GEL)