GUEST TIPS ON EXPLORING ALL THINGS GEORGIAN

The Ambassador of Great Britain to Georgia, Justin McKenzie Smith, was kind enough to share with us some of his favorite things about Georgia. Let's explore them.

THE MUSEUMS

A day wandering through Tbilisi is a pleasure. Step into a few of the museums on your route and you will discover the history of Georgia and its people. Two of my favorites are the Literature Museum, just off Rustaveli Avenue, and the State Museum of Theater, Music, Cinema and Choreography, known as the Art Palace. If you are visiting this autumn, make a special trip to the Georgian National Museum to see the amazing coin of the great Georgian king, David The Builder, on loan from the British Museum as part of the UK Season in Georgia.

Art Palace Museum


THE FOOD

Georgian food more than lives up to its reputation. So does Georgian wine. If you are invited to eat in a Georgian home, go! Tbilisi has wonderful restaurants – some traditional, some using traditional Georgian ingredients in new ways. If you’re looking for something different, check out Lily Vanilli in Vake for good coffee and delicious cakes. It is the only branch of this hip London bakery outside of the UK.

Lily Vanilli


THE SPORTS

For a small country, Georgia has a truly impressive history of sporting achievement, decorated with trophies and medals. Georgia’s awesome wounded servicemen have won seated volleyball gold, twice, in the Invictus Games. Today, rugby is a big deal. I am very proud that, in August, Scotland was the first Tier 1 rugby nation to play in Tbilisi. If there’s a rugby or football match at the Dinamo Arena or Mikheil Meskhi Stadium while you’re visiting, don’t miss it.

Georgian rugby


THE REGIONS

Tbilisi is very special, although to get to know Georgia you have to travel more widely. There are some well-known destinations and they are definitely worth a visit. I would add Kutaisi to your list – there is a buzz about the city these days. I am lucky that my job takes me to some less obvious places and allows me to meet people from all over the country. I was in Tsalka not long ago, in Kvemo Kartli, visiting an English language club we support. Another recent visit took me to Nasakirali in the mountains of Guria. These are regions of Georgia that I would love to explore more.

Nokalakevi

The diversity of cultures, nature and history within Georgia is extraordinary. I love the fact that some of that history is still being discovered and interpreted. Each summer, I have the chance to visit the Anglo-Georgian Archaeological Expedition at beautiful Nokalakevi in Samegrelo, western Georgia. For the last 19 years, Georgian and British archaeologists have worked hand-in-hand to uncover the secrets of this extraordinary multi-period site dating back to the 8th Century BC.