Short hike @ Borjomi

Borjomi is famous for its hot sulphuric mineral water but also for the national park surrounding it, where you can take a lot of different hikes. We had decided on a hike to the bath of the Tsar which included a ride with the old cable car!

Lumberjacks burning the branches of the cut trees
Modernised bath of the Tsar

Already the Russian Tsars valued the healing qualities of Borjomi’s mineral water and had a bath built in the middle of the forest. During Soviet time, Borjomi was very popular and people from all parts of the union travelled here to benefit from the warm springs.

Dog who doesn’t respect the ban of his kind
I wasn’t allowed to go on a ride

In 1854, the first bottling plant for the natural water was built. Quickly the Borjomi water gained popularity for its curing effects all over the Russian Empire. By 1913 already over 9 million bottles were sold a year.

Villa built in 1892 by an Iranian merchant – today the Golden Tulip Hotel
Another villa close to the spring
Going on the ride back up

It was interesting to visit this town and hike a little, for sure a place where you can spend a longer time and do more of the hikes, but we were thinking of going back to Turkey, if possible crossing the border just south of Akhaltsikhe – more on our next post!

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