A City That Unites Two Worlds
Those who travel from Tbilisi to Batumi – five hours through the green hills of western Georgia – feel at the end as though they have entered a different country. The air is more humid, warmer, heavier. Palm trees line the boulevards. The sea shimmers in a blue unknown in central Georgia.
Batumi is Georgia’s second city. And for many foreigners discovering Georgia, it quickly becomes their first choice.
Discovering the City: What Makes Batumi
The seafront promenade (Boulevardi) is the heart of Batumi – six kilometres long, with palm trees, cafés, sculptures, cycling paths and the Black Sea on one side. In the evenings it is where all of Batumi comes to walk: families, couples, tourists, locals. The atmosphere is relaxed, colourful and alive.
The old town is smaller than Tbilisi’s, but no less charming: Ottoman courtyards, European Art Nouveau facades, small wine cellars and restaurants. The Piazza – an artificial square in Venetian style – feels touristy at first glance, but becomes a genuine meeting point in the evenings.
The Botanical Garden lies nine kilometres north of the city on a coastal hillside overlooking the sea. The 108-hectare garden offers guided tours in multiple languages as well as seasonal exhibitions and workshops, with spring and early summer being particularly popular due to the flowering of azaleas, rhododendrons and roses.
The architecture is Batumi’s greatest surprise. Alongside the Alphabet Tower – a 130-metre tower featuring Georgian letters – and the Technological University Tower stand tsarist-era buildings with elaborate facades that recall Vienna or Paris. Walking through the city centre with open eyes reveals something unexpected around every other corner.
Ali & Nino – A Sculpture That Moves
On the Batumi promenade stands something you see once and never forget. Two human figures made of steel, nearly nine metres tall. They move slowly toward each other, briefly merge – and then drift apart again. Every evening at nightfall, for about ten minutes. The sculpture by Georgian artist Tamara Kvesitadze is one of the most recognised artworks in the Caucasus.
Its name: Ali & Nino. Named after the 1937 novel about the love story between Ali, an Azerbaijani, and Nino, a Georgian – two young people from different cultures whose paths cross during the turbulent years of the First World War in the Caucasus. The book has been translated into more than 30 languages and remains one of the most widely read works about the region to this day.
The sculpture stands directly on the seafront promenade, near the Dolphinarium. Free entry.
Nightlife, Restaurants and Life by the Sea
Batumi does not go to sleep early. The city has a lively going-out scene – casinos, clubs, beachfront bars, restaurants with international menus.
The cuisine of Adjara has its own specialities: Adjaruli Khachapuri – Georgia’s most famous Khachapuri, boat-shaped, with a raw egg in the centre, served with butter. Alongside it: grilled fish fresh from the Black Sea, local herb dishes, and wine from Kakheti that tastes different on a sea-view terrace than anywhere else.
In summer, Batumi is a genuine seaside resort – the beach is pebbly (typical of the eastern Black Sea coast), but the water is warm, the beach restaurants are good, and the atmosphere is relaxed and Mediterranean.
Batumi for Investors and Foreigners: Why the City Is Booming
This is where the blog becomes interesting for those who are not just visiting, but planning to stay – or invest.
Real estate market: Batumi has become one of the most dynamic property markets in the region in recent years. New high-rises are going up continuously, international hotel chains – Sheraton, Hilton, Marriott, Le Méridien – are long established, and prices remain remarkably moderate compared to western European coastal cities.
A two-bedroom apartment with sea views in Batumi is available from $75,000–95,000. Those who buy can rent the apartment via Airbnb or local platforms and achieve attractive returns given the high tourist numbers in summer. Foreigners may purchase property in Georgia without restriction – no special status, no minimum wealth requirement, no bureaucratic hurdles.
