Recommendations From Tbilisi Residents

Natela Grigalashvili  photographer

1. Metro-Station “Samgori” – there are several types of trading available on the nearby territory: wholesale trade and product market, trade fair and a kind of flea market selling a variety of exotic items that are less popular among the Tbilisi population and tourists.

2. Tbilisi Suburbs – Gldani, Mukhiani, Vazisubani, Varketili which were built in the Soviet times. These gloomy districts with almost identical architecture are not associated with the active lifestyle of the city.  Some people even have little yards and cultivate vegetable gardens near living blocks. You can come across some special services which are not so popular in the center of the city: shoe-making kiosks, beauty salons, bakeries of Georgian bread (Tone) and kiosks which provide reparation services for small metal objects. 

 3. Gardabani’s Morning Train – At 7 – 8 a.m.  A train from Gardabani stops at the train-station near Samgori metro. This train brings native Azerbaijan merchants, chaotically selling new products directly on the platforms. 

4.“District of Dogs” in Kukia Area – populated by the ethnical minorities- Kurds. Narrow dead-end alleys, cobbled slopes and private houses side-by-side. It is possible to make a panorama shot of Tbilisi from the “district of dogs’. 

5. The Botanical Garden – One of the places in Tbilisi where one can feel real nature. Some unique verities of plants are preserved in the garden and you can find nice relaxing places- a real oasis for escaping the summer heat.