City: Abkhazia
Top Things to do in Abkhazia
- 1. Anacopia Fortress
- 2. Gegskiy Waterfall
- 3. Rock Shalter of Saint Apostle Simon the Zealot
- 4. Lake Rica
- 5. New Athos Cave
- 6. New Athos Simoneau-Kananitsky Monastery
- 7. New Athos Waterfall
- 8. Pitsundsky State Historical and Architectural Reserve Vieliky Pitiunt
- 9. Sukhumi Botanical Garden
- 10. Fountain Griffins
What to do and see in Abkhazia, Georgia: The Best Places and Tips
Abkhazia (Abkhazian: Аҧсны́ Apsny [apʰsˈnɨ]; Georgian: აფხაზეთი Apkhazeti [ɑpʰxɑzɛtʰi]; Russian: Абха́зия, tr. Abkhа́ziya, IPA: [ɐpˈxazʲɪjə]) is a disputed territory on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, south of the Greater Caucasus mountains, in northwestern Georgia. It covers 8,660 square kilometres (3,340 sq mi) and has a population of around 340,000. Its capital is Sukhumi. The separatist Abkhazian polity, formally the Republic of Abkhazia, is recognised as a state only by Russia and three other UN member states. While Georgia lacks control over Abkhazia, the Georgian government, the United Nations and the majority of the world's governments consider Abkhazia part of Georgia, whose constitution designates the area as the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
Restaurants in Abkhazia
1. Anacopia Fortress
Overall Ratings
5 based on 168 reviews
Reviewed By Tinde_K - Moscow, Russia
From the highest point you can park your car it would take you another 30 minutes to walk the rocky road to the Anacopia Fortress that will provide you with lovely views over New Athos. I strongly advise wearing either running or hiking shoes because the road is partially destroyed with sharp rocks. Mind your step all the time. There's a well inside the fortress, don't be afraid to use it, the water is clean and safe to drink.
2. Gegskiy Waterfall
Overall Ratings
5 based on 175 reviews
Reviewed By Grahamek - PL
The waterfall is at the end of a very very bumpy road, at is normally at the end of the tour, so be ready for a sore bum.
It is impressive and worth making the effort for. It's possible to get a beer for 100RUB and enjoy the view at the end of the day there.
3. Rock Shalter of Saint Apostle Simon the Zealot
Overall Ratings
5 based on 118 reviews
4. Lake Rica
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 861 reviews
Reviewed By Tinde_K - Moscow, Russia
Beautiful piece of nature in the heart of Abkhazia. It takes some curvy road to reach it, but then you'll just marvel at the gorgeous views all around you. And as a bonus, hidden from the sight from the lakeside, one of the small side roads will lead you to Stalin's dacha - one of his retreats in Abkhazia. Depending on the will of the current president, it might be open or it might be closed. The entrance fee is nothing and you will get access to a fascinating insight into Stalin's private life.
5. New Athos Cave
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 510 reviews
Reviewed By JGDynamo - Halifax Region, Canada
The gigantic cave at New Athos is a popular tourist attraction so be sure to get your tickets ahead of time. The tour is quite good, full of cool damp air, stalagmites and stalactites and black dynamite and campsite and cellulite but worth seeing and experiencing. The underground lake looks frosty to swim in and it won’t take long to get through but is a neat experience for the area.
6. New Athos Simoneau-Kananitsky Monastery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 385 reviews
Reviewed By bryan-quiller-hire - Tbilisi, Georgia
This huge Orthodox Cathedral and its garden grounds and scenic location near the seaside on a high hill is quite impressive and breathtaking. The interiour is well adorned with frescoes and icons too. The multi-domed architecture is sublime and divine.
This is a short 15 minute drive from central Sukhumi. The little hydro-electric power plant to supply the monks with power to read their scriptures at night is quite innovative and inventive.
I was not there at the right time to hear the bells ring in the 50 foot tower. Maybe next visit!
7. New Athos Waterfall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 119 reviews
Reviewed By ngutierrez1972 - Moscow, Russia
Nice place, reasonable picture spot, stop over for lunch or come here if you have some time to kill before going to New Athos cave, but as a waterfall, it is not much.
8. Pitsundsky State Historical and Architectural Reserve Vieliky Pitiunt
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 108 reviews
Reviewed By Grahamek - PL
if you are passing through Pitsunda, then you will want to stop here for 30 mins, but don't expect to be impressed.
The church grounds are very pretty, but inside be prepared for a Soviet style cinema experience, with mustard yellow bucket seats lining the interior, where there might be some pews expected.
There is a giant, ugly organ to one side, which is used regularly as part of Concerts, I listened for a while to teh organist, who happened to be having a post lunch practice at around 2.30pm one day, and I was neither impressed with the choice of music, nor the execution.
The walls are part red brick, part poorly restored frescos, and then chunks are covered in modern plaster and a 1970s paint job.
9. Sukhumi Botanical Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 211 reviews
Reviewed By bryan-quiller-hire - Tbilisi, Georgia
The trees and flowers are well labeled with metal plaques embedded into the soil beneath the species and the walking paths are well maintained and plenty of rustic benches are located here and there so you can take a rest. Beware of the mosquitoes! If you are walking you don't notice them. i stopped to read my guide book and map, on a log bench, and at first did not notice the huge and fat slow flying mosquitoes. They have an anesthetic in their stinger that works better than pre-surgery anesthesia and you don't notice all the needle noses plunging into your blood veins! 15 to 20 minutes later the numbing injected chemicals wore off and i had about 30 large bites on my legs and ankles!
There are many vendors selling tourist bric a brac along one whole side of the garden perimeter, as you leave.
It is a nice walk through the center of town back to the seaside, if you so wish.
I just spent 12 wonderful days in Abkhazia. I highly recommend it. It took only 5 minutes to deal with Georgian government officials on the Georgian side of the Engur River, and 15 minutes to pass through Russian border guards on the other side of the river [they are more thorough against suspected illegal crossings]. There are at least a dozen ATM cash machines now in Sukhumi, and at least one ATM at the large GAGRA BANK in Gagra on the main Nartaa seaside road. A few restaurants take VISA cards. Only a few. Hotels can now be found for $32 to $52 a night, for three occupants, easily. Most one day package tours are around $30-$35 and well organized and fill your whole day [Lake Ritsa, the Krubera Caves, the monastery, etc.]. Restaurants start at $15 for full meal. Street vendor food is around $3.
One tip to save you time and energy. The walk is not really so pleasant from one side to the other of the Enguri River at the crossing zone, and the horse drawn buggy is slow and not really cheap. There are a few go cart driven transport buggies that the Mgrelian vendors regularly use who cross each day for mundane product exchanges, and it costs only 2 GEL Georgian laris, or about 40 rubles [around $1]. It is much quicker than horse buggy and walking.
I found the Abkhaz people very hospitable and friendly and helpful and curious. Since tourists are mainly Russian and some Armenians, an American [like me] stood out like a 7 foot tall Mongolian in Guatemala Highlands. Often i was told I was the first American ever to visit the street I was on! A taxi driver even gave me his prayer rosary that had been hanging on his rear view mirror, as a token of his hospitality.
Sukhumi is more of a lower middle class Russian family tourist destination, and Gagra is just on the Russian border so there are busloads and busloads of one day Russian soujourners. Also, there are more sexy couples in Gagra, which are rare in Sukhumi. [I was told Sochi is TEN TIMES more expensive for the same natural setting!] Gagra is packed with restaurants and bars and dance floors at night. Borscht is served nearly everywhere in Gagra to please the constant stream of Russians, but in Sukhumi i could not find one place with borscht, the Russian national dish. Of all the Abkhazian wines, Chegem the red wine made from Cabarnet Sauvignon grapes is excellent, as is the white wine Dioskuria, both of European tastes to the tongue and fitting such standards. All the many other Abkhaz wines, are on the sweet side and may not be to your liking, who knows?
You must take a Russian phrase book with you! I think it might be easier to learn pidgin Russian in Abkhazia, rather than in Russia. The people here are more patient in Abkhazia and willing to struggle with you, and maybe one out of 15 Russian tourists speaks some bit of English [especially if from St. Petersburg], but almost no Abkhazia denizens speak a word of English. Hotels and restaurants use Russian and almost never English.
Sukhumi has very few wifi supported cafes or restaurants, however, Gagra has zillions of them. GOOGLE translator works great between Russian and English, so if you can get the undivided attention of friendly people in a wifi cafe-eatery, then have them type what they want to say on the little peck-peck-peck Russian keyboard on the Google screen, and you can use your own latin alphabet keyboard on your laptop keyboard, and you then can even discuss art, culture, literature and philosophy with each other!
10. Fountain Griffins
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 59 reviews
Reviewed By BigTravellCouple - Tbilisi
This place was the most photographed place till 1992 war between Georgia and Russia. I have at list 10 pics from this place) On the opposite side there is the garden where small photo store was located. It provided services to amateur photographers like me))
Unfortunately the only way to get there is through Russia, as it controls the city, since its occupation and ethnic cleansing of Georgians.
Russia does not allow refugees to visit their homeland. From another side, Georgia does not allow foreigners visit Sukhumi (and other occupied cities) entering from Russia. By the law such tourists are facing legal charges.
Officially Abkhazia is part of Georgia. Georgians were the majority of its population till 1992. It's independence is not recognised by the world. Except of Venezuela and Russia itself. Russia is controlling local government by subsidising it but keeping the region undeveloped.
Security issues are still the major concern there. So people visiting Sukhumi even illegally must be very careful.
As for the beauty of the city and its nature, there is no better place in there world than Sukhumi.
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