Date: 23rd May 2026ย
Travelled: 220 kms from Akhaltsikhe to Kutaisi in Georgia ย
Visited: ย Borjomi, Motsameta Monastery and Kutaisi ย
Stayed: Kutaisi Inn ย
We do a final few kms walk around Akhalsikhe before breakfast. Our stop over here has nothing to do with the city, itโs just a stopover point between Gyumri and Katuisi. I would suggest thereโve built this hotel to give tourist groups like ourselves an overnight stop.
Our walk provides no opportunity for an interesting photo.
At the appointed time the red lemmings pass their luggage to the driver and where off. Our first stop the old tourist town of Borjomi. We alight the coach where the Kura River winds itโs way through the centre of the old town.
Borjomi is an old resort town. Known for its mineral waters, with public springs in Borjomi Central Park. From the park trails wind through the vast wilderness of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park. The place became very popular with the Russian elite and a large bottling plant followed.
All that aside our guide chats on about the water but he warns the extremely high mineral levels can upset your stomach, so only small sips he says. We donโt bother.
We walk through the national park for 20 minutes before succumbing to the lure of coffee and honey cake, Then its back on the coach for our next adventure.
Itโs a long drive to Kutaisi, getting to Motsameta Monastery requires the driver to negotiate the narrow streets in the suburbs of Kutaisi adds another 20 minutes. From the carpark we walk some 5-600 metres along the path to the monastery, which stands at the end of a ridge.
Motsameta Monastery was founded in the 11th century. Motsmeta laterally means โPlace of Martyrsโโฆitโs another long Georgian tail of martyrdom. The link above takes you there.
Being a Saturday afternoon there are a lot people here picnicking and exploring the church and grounds. The photo of the plaque above looks interesting but using Google translate, the plaque commemorates the construction of the road to access the church in 1961.
Photos below from inside the church.
So Montsameta done we make for the coach and the 20 minute drive to the centre of Kutaisi. The bus drops us in the centrum next to the city markets so we wander from there.
Kutaisi is an interesting city with a great vibe but our coach is calling to take us to our hotel which is about 1.5 kms from the centrum. We would have liked to go back into the city for dinner but a thunderstorm puts an end to thatโฆ
Michael + Pam
