More from Georgia – A Trip to Borjomi and Vardzia

Having so much fun in Georgia, I decided to extend my stay by another week so I could see more of the country and go on a really exciting adventure. We will get to this in the next post, however, while waiting for the big day to embark on the adventure, I found a trip to Borjomi and Vardzia.

We began early in the morning on the road to Borjomi which is about 2.5 hours west of Tbilisi. Borjomi is a resort town hosting Georgia’s best-known brand, Borjomi water, which is extremely popular across the former Soviet Union. It is known to be an effective hangover cure as well as a cure for many other ailments.

The Borjomi area has been inhabited since the middle ages, but was destroyed and left to decay after being invaded by the Ottomans in the 16th century. It regained popularity during the early to mid 1800’s when it began receiving Russian soldiers. In the early 1840’s it became famous when the Russian Viceroy of the Caucasus, General Yevgeny Golovin brought his daughter here who suffered from severe gastrointestinal illness. She was given Borjomi water regularly and soon made a full recovery.

When we arrived, we were set free to explore the places that most interested us. I began with quick walk through town and filled up a bottle with the famous water in the public fountain. I have to say, this water would take some getting used to! It has a very strong taste, leaves a metal feeling in your mouth, and smells even worse! Luckily the water bottled and sold in the stores is purified and saturated with natural CO₂ to extend the shelf life an the drinkability.

Once deciding the “natural” water was not my thing, I headed towards the 1962 Soviet cable car which can transport 25 people 376 meters over the valley to the top of the adjacent mountain. I can’t imagine 25 people in the car, but it was a nice ride for the operator, me, and one couple. The views over the mineral park and the city were beautiful! There is even an old Ferris wheel at the top, but unfortunately it’s no longer used, so a ride was out.

Between Borjomi and Vardzia, we stopped at a beautiful spot in the mountains for lunch, as the drive to Vardzia was another 2.5 hours.

After lunch, we continued south until we finally reached the Vardzia cave monastery built in the side of the Erusheti mountain. The monastery came to be during desperate times in the late 1100’s when the medieval kingdom of Georgia was trying to fight off the Mongol hoards. Queen Tamar ordered the construction of this underground sanctuary in 1185, and when completed, it was 13 levels with 6000 apartments, a throne room, and a large church with an external bell tower. Unfortunately, the amazing feat of construction didn’t last long, as more than 2/3 of it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1283, exposing the hidden innards of the remaining section. Despite the drama, the community carried on until 1551 when it was raided by the Persian Sash Tahmasp.

Today the monastery is maintained by a small group of monks with about 300 apartments. Some of the tunnels and exposed rooms are visitable and the old irrigation pipes still supply drinkable water to the small community. Although I was disappointed to see the metal railings disrupting the natural landscape, it was definitely a cool place to explore!

After a couple of hours of climbing around, we loaded up for the 5 hour drive back to the city. We made one stop on the way to stretch our legs and see a fun castle along the Kura River before a late arrival in town. We all got a kick out of the roadside café at our stop, Café Tourist!

And that brings us to the end of another amazing day in Georgia! Please stay tuned as I can’t wait to share the next adventure!!

Cheers, hugs and love, Michelle