A long walk around Tbilisi and a funicular ride

 

I had a full day off again, and I went for a really long walk in Tbilisi. First I walked through the familiar old town, to the Metheki Church that sits on a rock outcrop and overlooks the river, then onto the Holy Trinity Cathedral. This is the grandoise building on a hilltop that you can see from virtually all central Tbilisi. Then I discovered the charming areas around the Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue. It is also a historic part of Tbilisi, but buildings are relatively modern, dating to the 19th century. I walked to the main central train station, a not too remarkable Soviet-era building, then headed back to the other side of the river over the Queen Tamar Bridge in the north. This area was a little bit more suburban, but soon I ended up on familiar Rustaveli Avenue. This time, however, I ventured further uphill from the main throughfare, and took the funicular to the top of the hill. There is an amusement park up here, but also amazing views of the city. On the way down I stopped at a little church; among other public figures, Stalin's mother is buried in the courtyard. Then I returned to Rustaveli Avenue at the parliament, continued to Freedom Square, and I was back in 'my neighbourhood', the old town. 






















































































































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