As my taxi drove north along the Black Sea I began to get the feeling that Batumi was much larger than I had envisioned. When I first planned visiting, I considered walking from the airport to my hotel. That would have been an awful idea. In no time I was at the Hilton Batumi, which had just opened less than 6 months earlier. As a gold member I was offered an upgraded room, free drink, and breakfast for a bargain rate of just $68. The rain had subsided for the moment so I didn’t delay long in my room and began exploring they city. I quickly checked out the Black Sea and its rocky beach before walking toward the core of the city in quest of my first and much anticipated adjarian khachapuri. This cheese/butter/egg filled bread boat of joy certainly did not disappoint. Many Georgians start their day off with some form of a khachapuri, but this version is typically enjoyed on special occasions or anyone looking to clog their arteries. Laguna, a small underground (literally) establishment, would be easy to overlook, but according to multiple sources, shouldn’t be skipped when looking for khachapuri in Batumi.


Hilton Batumi


Tower one


Corner room


Bathroom


Welcome amenity with handwritten English note


View toward the city


Black Sea view


Rocky beach


Mostly dormant beach town


Laguna


First Georgian beer


Before


During


After – Victory! Just don’t tell my cardiologist

Joyfully stuffed, I continued through the colorful and vibrant streets noticing a unique juxtaposition of old and new along with squalor and opulence seen with both Soviet and European influences. The first main site along the way was Europe Square. Aptly named for its design, it houses the Medea Statue (Greek Mythology), the Astronomical Clock and views of Batumi’s many new high rises. The clock, in addition to time, tells all sorts of information including the placement of the moon and sun. Since its restoration it has been a part of Europe Square, but came from the former National Bank. The Medea Statue was introduced in 2007. Mostly constructed after gaining its independence, this beautifully manicured square shows Georgia’s desire to align with Europe. Besides being a pleasant place to take a stroll for tourists and locals alike, the square often hosts many concerts and festivals throughout the year.


Playing the claw in the middle of the street


Europe Square


Medea Statue


Astronomical Clock (on the far left spire)


Post Office in Europe Square

Just down Rustaveli Avenue was Drama Theater and an open courtyard featuring the Fountain of Neptune. Yet another kempt public space with some colorful buildings all around. Towering in the distance of most views across the city was Batumi Tower. Georgia’s tallest building (with its own ferris wheel to boot) was originally designed to house a technical institute, but like many projects in the region, was eventually sold off, to be a Le Meridian Hotel at some point down the road.


Rustaveli Avenue


Neptune Fountain and Drama Theater Square


Batumi Tower in the distance


Drama Theater behind Neptune Fountain


Reverse of Drama Theater

The clouds at this point looked a bit looming so of course I aimlessly continued north toward the shore lined with many fishermen and boats of varying conditions. Just as the skies opened up I made it to the terminal for the Argo cable car. The 2,500m cable transported me in the pouring rain from near Tbilisi Square to the top of Anuria Mountain for five lari. Up top were sweeping views of Batumi and the rain had mostly subsided. With not much more than a souvenir shop and café, I headed back down and retraced my steps toward Rustaveli Avenue.


Batumi coast


Fishing


Boats parked outside the Batumi seaport


They sure love the claw; and three legged benches


Port of Batumi


Lower Argo station


Argo


Liftoff


Mud-road highway detour


Half way


Arrival


Overlooking Batumi


Church atop Anuria Mountain


Batumi traffic


Arriving back to the Batumi station


My first squatter


Boat repair

Miracles Park lies at the north end of Batumi Boulevard and houses all sorts of attractions along its nearly seven km seafront promenade. The two most iconic structures within the park are the ferris wheel and the Alphabetic Tower. The 30-meter tall wheel supposedly costs three lari for the 15-minute ride, but it looked about as lively as the Pripyat wheel. Just next door was the even more iconic 130-meter tall Alphabetic Tower. Another disappointing Georgian construction that soon after completion was home to nothing more than a broken elevator and countless bird’s nests. Built in 2011 at a cost of $65 million, its double helix structure features all 33 4-meter tall letters from the Georgian Alphabet. In order to conserve operating costs (or lack there of) it was sold to a Spanish company to remove it from the city’s books. Pretty cool looking regardless, too bad it wasn’t operational.


Miracles Park


Batumi ferris wheel


Alphabetic Tower


Double Helix


Inside


Brought to you by the letter მ

Lots of street art and sculptures lined the walk including the famous Ali and Nino statue, which represents the famous novel (and soon movie) by the same name.


Ali and Nino


Cloudy Black Sea kind of day


Local art

As I continued down the completely deserted Batumi Boulevard I took all sorts of photos of landmarks except for one of the most noteworthy (I’m not sure why) sites in Batumi. The colonnades were constructed by a local signifying where the land met the water in a traditional Roman style. As I passed by, I thought nothing of them and continued on, only to learn later that night their notoriety.


Batumi Boulevard


Closed for the season


Pier Batumi


Awfully rough waters


Batumi Tower


Concert hall built in Ajarian style


Recognizing the driving force behind Batumi Boulevard in the late 19th century, Michael D’ Alfons


Yet another fountain


This building (?) was housing a wedding reception


Playing life-sized chess


Outdoor pool and ping pong tables


Batumi Tennis Club Hotel


All sorts of abstract art along the Boulevard

Back at the hotel after quite a bit of walking I decided to check out the roof-top bar and take a few photos from their seasonal roof-top outdoor balcony. The views of both the Black Sea and city showed just how much distance I had covered in such a short time. I did skip going father south to see the unique public service hall building and the dancing fountains since they seemed to only have the music and light show in season.


May 6 Park


Colonnade sighting (just beyond and to the left of the concert hall)


Batumi Sheraton (I almost stayed, but the Hilton won by price by maybe $30) was built to replicate the Lighthouse of Alexandria


Looking south to Turkey


The Black Sea beyond the second, unoccupied, tower


The northern half of Batumi Boulevard


Enjoying my first glass of Saperavi

The bar was a ghost town and when I asked how much my wine would cost, they said not to worry about it. I had two glasses and used a ‘have a drink on us’ voucher, for the first, so promised I would return in the evening to have another glass. Even though they claimed my card would grant me access to the lounge, it didn’t. I ended up going later but only found water and soft drinks later in the evening. For dinner I went to Grill Town just across the street from the Sheraton. It was a bit of an upscale Georgian restaurant. I tried my first Georgian Khinkali along with some grilled chicken with some live music to keep me entertained. Back at the hotel I enjoyed another glass of wine before calling it a night.


Grill Town


Grilled chicken


Georgian Khinkali


Colonnades at night


Batumi Boulevard under the stars