Batumi is the subtropical seaside capital of Adjara, an autonomous region of Georgia on the Black Sea coast. Formerly a Soviet resort city, it has transformed dramatically since the early 2000s — the Old Town has been carefully restored, a postmodern boulevard with extravagant architectural follies (the Ali & Nino statue, the Alphabet Tower, the Batumi Tower) runs along the sea, and the casino hotels draw visitors from the Middle East and post-Soviet world. The combination of Black Sea beach, subtropical greenery, Georgian food and wine, and the Ottoman-era Old Town is unique.
Batumi's Old Town is the most distinctive in the South Caucasus — narrow streets of 19th-century buildings with Ottoman wooden balconies projecting over the alleys (known locally as "jibuti balconies"), Italian-style piazzas, and mosques and churches side by side. The Piazza Maydan (formerly named after Colchida Square) at the centre has a small fountain, café terraces and the finest concentration of restored buildings.
The Cha-Cha Tower on Batumi Boulevard is a sculptural tower that dispenses free cha-cha (Georgian grape marc spirit, similar to grappa) on Easter and New Year. On other days the fountain runs with ordinary water, but the spirit shop below sells every variety of Georgian cha-cha. Sample several.
The Adjaran khachapuri (bread boat filled with melted Sulguni cheese, topped with a raw egg and butter, eaten by tearing off pieces of the bread sides to dip) is one of the most satisfying foods in the world. In Batumi, the homeland of this khachapuri style, it is at its finest. At Retro in the Old Town or any local café.
The Batumi Boulevard (the longest in the Caucasus) runs 6km along the Black Sea — the pebble beach, the architectural follies (Alphabet Tower, Batumi Tower, Ali & Nino statue, the Ferris wheel), and the subtropical greenery (palms, eucalyptus, bamboo groves) create one of the most eccentric seafronts in the world.
The Ali & Nino sculpture (by Tamar Kvesitadze, 2010) is two 8-metre steel figures — an Azerbaijani man and a Georgian woman who slowly rotate to meet and merge, then pass through each other, then separate. The cycle takes 10 minutes. Named after the famous Caucasian novel, it is the most moving public sculpture in the Caucasus.
Georgian dinner in Batumi: khinkali (soup dumplings of minced pork and herb, eaten by holding the topknot, biting, sucking the broth, then eating the dough — never eat the topknot), mtsvadi (shashlik/pork skewers grilled over vine charcoal), pkhali (walnut-stuffed vegetable rolls). At Baraka or Sol e Mar.
Batumi has over 25 casinos — the casino hotels (Hilton, Sheraton, Radisson Blu) have well-run gaming floors. The low minimums and the mix of Georgian, Middle Eastern and Russian gamblers make for a distinctive evening atmosphere even for non-gamblers.
The Batumi Botanical Garden (1912, on the cliff above the sea north of the city) is one of the finest in the former Soviet Union — 2,000 plant species in a subtropical climate (palms, eucalyptus, bamboo, magnolia, Japanese cherry) with sea views. The garden is at its finest in spring (April–May) when the rhododendrons bloom.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideMakhinjauri (the village north of Batumi near the botanical garden) has several excellent Georgian home restaurants — the megruli khachapuri (cheese inside and outside the bread), the walnut sauces and the bean soup (lobiani) are all regional specialties.
The Makhuntseti Waterfall (40m, in the Adjaran mountains 20 km from Batumi) is the most photogenic waterfall in the region — a single column falling into a pool in a gorge. Adjacent is the 13th-century Ottoman stone arch bridge, one of Georgia's finest medieval structures.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideAdjarian wine production is small but distinctive — the orange (amber) wine tradition (white grapes skin-fermented like red wine) is Georgia's ancient method and Adjaria makes excellent examples. At Wine House Batumi or a wine bar in the Old Town.
Batumi has a good summer nightlife — beach bars on the Boulevard and the club scene in the casino hotels. The summer nights here (July–August) are warm enough for beachside sitting until 3am.
Gonio Fortress (12 km south of Batumi, near the Turkish border) is a Roman fort of extraordinary preservation — the rectangular plan with towers, built in the 1st-2nd century AD as the eastern outpost of the Roman Empire. According to tradition, the Apostle Matthias is buried here. The medieval Genoese and Ottoman additions are also visible.
Sarpi (4 km from Gonio) is the border crossing between Georgia and Turkey — the most dramatic border crossing on the Black Sea coast, with the frontier running through the beach. The Georgian and Turkish sides are visible simultaneously.
Batumi Black Sea seafood: the Black Sea mullet, anchovy (hamsi), lufer (bluefish) and the Georgian walnut sauce pkhali are the best seafood lunch combination. At any seafood restaurant on the Boulevard or in the beach area south of Batumi.
The Batumi Alphabet Tower (2012, 130m) is dedicated to the Georgian alphabet (one of only 14 unique writing systems in the world, created in the 5th century AD). The viewing platform on the upper floors gives a 360° view of Batumi, the sea and the Adjaran mountains.
The Batumi cable car (ropeway) goes from the Boulevard to the hilltops above the city — the sunset view over the Black Sea and the entire curved Batumi bay from 200m is stunning. The restaurant at the top is mediocre but the view is exceptional.
A final Georgian dinner centered on khinkali — count how many you eat (10 is respectable, 15 is brave, 20+ is a Batumi local). At Machakhela restaurant chain for the most consistent khinkali in Adjara.
A glass of cha-cha in the Old Town at midnight. The spirit of Adjaria, the Georgian Black Sea, and the end of three days in the most unexpected seaside city in the Caucasus.