The Healing Waters of Tskaltubo
If you know all that Georgia, with its rich history and dramatic landscapes, has to offer in the summer months, you might wonder what you would find if you went in winter. The answer is plenty, with all the same glorious scenery and surprising opportunities.
To start with, Georgia’s balneotherapy spas, with their healing mineral waters and radon bath treatments, are open all year round. Let’s take Tskaltubo, for instance, one of the most famous spa resorts in the Caucasus, located in the Imereti region near Kutaisi. This healing spring has been mentioned in books written as far back as the 12th century. It was extremely popular with several generations of Georgian kings of the Bagrationi dynasty, who would come here to rest and recuperate. During Soviet times, a direct train connected this small Georgian spa town with the largest cities in the USSR, allowing the residents of Moscow,
Kiev, and St Petersburg to arrive in huge numbers. When city-dwellers needed to go somewhere healthy they found Tskaltubo, with its forests and healing springs, provided everything they required and they came in their thousands. In those days Batumi, on the shores of the Black Sea, was less accessible as it did not have its own branch line.
There is another popular spa resort near Tskaltubo called Sairme, which not many foreign tourists know about, but which is very popular with Georgians and their closest neighbours from Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The magical forests of Imereti
The mountains that surround the spa town of Tskaltubo are spectacular, not so tall but thickly forested. All the spa buildings and old Soviet sanatoriums in Imereti are hidden away in a large and scenic park, full of trees, that spreads across an area of 78 hectares. Evergreen pine, birch, oak, maple, plane, and nut trees enrich the air with phytoncides (chemicals released by plants that have been shown to have a beneficial effect on human health) and surround the famous springs with their curative waters. This leafy park, which is emerald green in summer, is just as dramatic in winter. It rarely snows in Imereti, but from time to time the ridges and trees are lightly decorated with gleaming snowflakes, resting gently on the twisting plane trees and spreading oaks. Their branches gleam with hoarfrost, and the tall pines are draped with a thin, frosty lace.
Tskaltubo was built as a spa resort with wide, tree-lined paths connecting numerous bathhouses, water sources, playing fields and pools. It has a theatre, concert hall, and museum for visitors.
It sits at the heart of its wellgroomed park, parts of which are illuminated all year round, creating a holiday atmosphere and a sense that something wonderful could happen. The region benefits from its proximity to the sea in various ways. In winter the temperature doesn’t drop below +5o C and there is almost no snow. In the coldest seasons it is always warmer here than in any other region of Georgia as it is protected from the wind on three sides by the high slopes of the Samgurali mountain ridge and enjoys warmer breezes from the sea.
The healing waters of Tskaltubo
One bonus of visiting Tskaltubo in winter is that treatments and hotels can cost half as much as they do in the summer, which is good value when you take into account that spa resorts in Georgia are already much cheaper than their competitors in neighbouring countries.
Local resorts and sanatoriums offer their guests a range of healthy procedures, including rejuvenating thermal mineral baths. Bathing in water containing natural radon is recommended for joint diseases or for rehabilitation after serious trauma, fractures, or surgery. They can also help cure various allergies. Thermal springs rich in calcium, magnesium, and nitrogen are usually recommended for treatments such as inhalation and hydrotherapy. The locals say that the mineral waters are also healthy to drink and good for cleaning your eyes.
Scenic region
After you have enjoyed your treatments and the curative waters have left you feeling relaxed and recharged, then it is time to head off to explore more of the beautiful Imereti region. Close by is the Sataplia Nature Reserve, with its ancient karst caves, fossilised dinosaur footprints and a clear glass observation deck with wonderful views.
The illuminations, stalactites, and petrified waterfalls in Kumistavi, better known as Prometheus Cave, will amaze you, and you can travel by boat along an underground river. According to those who study these things, the caves in this region will boost the therapeutic effect of your spa treatments as their unique microclimate of humid air saturated with salts is good for the respiratory system and helps treat neuroses and hypertension.
The stunning Okatse Canyon has a cantilever walkway that allows you to stroll along the edge of the ravine, and the Kinchkha waterfall is an impressive sight at any time of year.
All this marvellous beauty is located close to Kutaisi, the second largest city in the country, which is not only the oldest city in Georgia, but also one of the five oldest cities in the world. Kutaisi is crowned with a hill dominated by the majestic Bagrati Cathedral, a symbol of unity for Orthodox Georgians.
Tskaltubo is now part of the suburbs of Kutaisi, located only 9 kms from the city. If you prefer, you can stay in Kutaisi and use a fixed-route bus service that runs until late at night, allowing you time for a full day’s treatment in Tskaltubo.
Not far away, in the picturesque mountains, are the monasteries of Gelati and Motsameta. Tourists are allowed in and they offer panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. On your way back down the hill you will be able to buy fragrant white mountain honey and delicious fig or quince jam from the local residents.