Borjomi

Borjomi is a small resort town in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of southern Georgia — the country in the South Caucasus — at around 800 meters in the narrow gorge of the Mtkvari River. About 11,000 people live here, but the name carries far beyond the town: across the former Soviet Union, Borjomi means the mineral water bottled here since the 19th century and exported for well over a hundred years. That association is fair, but it's only part of the story. Borjomi is also the gateway to one of the largest protected forests in the Caucasus, a town with a distinctive imperial-era character, and a practical base for some of southern Georgia's most remarkable historical sites.

The setting is the first thing you notice. The Mtkvari gorge is deep and densely forested, with slopes rising sharply on both sides and the town occupying a thin strip of valley floor. Conifer and mixed deciduous forest covers nearly everything above the rooftops. The air is noticeably cleaner and cooler than in Tbilisi, about 160 kilometers to the northeast, and the mix of altitude, forest, and river valley makes a microclimate that's pleasant for much of the year.

Why visit Borjomi?

The main reasons to visit Borjomi are the mineral springs in its Central Park, the hiking in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, the cool forested climate, and the town's 19th-century spa-town architecture. It also works as the hub for a tight regional loop with Bakuriani, Akhaltsikhe, and Vardzia. It suits travelers who want nature and a slower pace, families escaping summer heat, and anyone combining it with the nearby ski resort. One honest note up front: drinking the warm spring water straight is more curiosity than pleasure — the bottled version most people know is cold and carbonated, which is a very different experience.

The mineral springs and Central Park

Borjomi's Central Park is the heart of its resort identity, on the valley floor along the Borjomula River where it meets the Mtkvari. Laid out in the imperial period and expanded since, it has riverside walkways, bridges, gardens, and a small funicular climbing the forested hillside above. It's a genuinely pleasant public space, green and well maintained, and busy with locals and visitors on warm days.

The mineral spring itself is in the park, where water flows from a tap into a small pool at a natural temperature of around 38°C. You can drink from the source free of charge, and many people do — but the taste divides opinion sharply: strongly mineralized, warm, with a pronounced sulfurous quality. The commercially bottled version is cold and carbonated, which makes it far more approachable; the spring straight from the tap is something to try once rather than enjoy. The water's chemistry — sodium bicarbonate and trace minerals of volcanic origin — has been the basis of therapeutic claims since the 19th century, mainly around digestion. The funicular at the top of the park links to forest paths on the hillside, an easy way into the terrain surrounding the town.

Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park

The most significant natural asset here is Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, which effectively begins at the edge of town and extends west across a vast area of mountain forest. Established in its current form in 2001, it covers about 85,000 hectares and protects one of the largest contiguous temperate forests in the Caucasus. It's often described as one of the larger national parks in Europe, though that comparison depends on how boundaries are counted.

The terrain runs from forested valleys around 800 meters near Borjomi to alpine meadows and rocky peaks above 2,600 meters. Forests are mostly mixed deciduous and conifer — beech, oak, hornbeam, and fir at different elevations — and the park supports brown bear, wolf, lynx, chamois, and red deer, plus many bird species, though sightings take patience and luck.

Marked trails of varying length start from the visitor center near Borjomi. Shorter routes of roughly two to six hours suit day visitors, passing through representative forest, crossing streams, and opening to views over the ridges. Longer multi-day routes cross the park east to west, finishing at the town of Kharagauli, and need advance planning, proper equipment, and some mountain experience. Guided horseback riding is also available. The visitor center provides trail maps, current conditions, and guides for those who'd rather not navigate alone — worth using, since the longer routes are remote.

Autumn is especially rewarding, when the deciduous trees turn against clear mountain light. Spring brings wildflowers to the meadows. Summer is busiest for hiking, though the dense forest keeps temperatures manageable even in July and August.

Likani and the Romanov palace

The village of Likani merges almost seamlessly with Borjomi along the valley floor and holds the former Romanov summer palace that did so much for the town's prestige. The main building is a substantial late-19th-century structure in landscaped grounds above the river, now used as an official state residence — so the interior is off-limits. The grounds are occasionally open and worth a walk for the mix of imperial-era landscaping and forested hillside, but check before making a special trip.

Borjomi, Bakuriani, and the wider region

Borjomi's position makes it a natural hub for the surrounding area. Bakuriani, the mountain ski resort, is about 30 kilometers away, reachable by the narrow-gauge Kukushka railway — slow but scenic — or by road in around 40 minutes. Combining the two in one itinerary makes sense: they offer complementary experiences and are close enough to base in one and visit the other.

Akhaltsikhe, with its Rabati Castle, lies about 50 kilometers south, under an hour away, and from there the Vardzia cave monastery is a further 55 kilometers into the mountains. Together, Borjomi, Bakuriani, Akhaltsikhe, and Vardzia form one of the most coherent regional loops in Georgia, covering nature, medieval history, and mountain scenery in a relatively compact area.

How to get to Borjomi

Borjomi is connected to Tbilisi by road and rail. The drive takes about two and a half to three hours, following the Mtkvari valley and the Borjomi gorge on the final approach. Trains run from Tbilisi's central station and take somewhat longer but pass through pleasant scenery. Marshrutkas (minibuses) from Tbilisi's Didube station are the most frequent and affordable option. From Borjomi, onward marshrutkas or taxis run to Akhaltsikhe, Bakuriani, and other regional destinations.

Best time to visit Borjomi

Borjomi works year-round, but the experience shifts by season. Spring (April–June) brings mild temperatures, full rivers, and the freshest forests, and is generally the best season for combining the town with hiking. Summer is busiest, especially July and August, when visitors escaping the heat of Tbilisi and eastern Georgia fill the hotels and Central Park. Autumn (September–October) is arguably the most visually rewarding, with the forests turning under clear skies. Winter brings snow to the upper elevations and a quieter feel in town, and many visitors pair a Borjomi stay with skiing at nearby Bakuriani.

History and imperial legacy

The springs in the Borjomi valley were known locally long before the town grew around them, but Borjomi's transformation into a major resort came quickly after Russian forces took the area in the early 19th century. The turning point was the 1830s, when a Russian military officer named Pavel Popov rediscovered the springs and promoted their therapeutic properties. Word spread through the imperial administration, and Borjomi became fashionable among the aristocracy and senior military stationed in the Caucasus.

Romanov involvement cemented its prestige. Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich, Viceroy of the Caucasus from 1862 to 1881, made Borjomi his summer residence and commissioned a palace and formal gardens at Likani. The Likani Palace, completed in the 1890s, became a regular royal retreat and helped make Borjomi one of the most fashionable resorts in the empire; the building still stands and is used today as a state residence. The town developed rapidly in this period, acquiring the villas, guesthouses, promenades, and park architecture of a 19th-century European spa town. Many of these buildings survive in varying condition and give Borjomi its character — wooden houses with decorated verandas, stone villas set back from tree-lined streets, and public buildings scaled to wealthy visitors rather than a small provincial town.

Commercial bottling began in the 1890s, first supplying the resort and the Tbilisi market, then growing steadily until, by the Soviet period, Borjomi water was a standard item across the entire USSR. Production expanded enormously in the Soviet decades, and the brand acquired the ubiquity that only mass distribution creates. The bottling plant is still one of the town's main employers and the brand is exported internationally, though a Russian embargo from 2006 to 2013 hit the industry hard during those years.