Leghvtakhevi Waterfall: A Hidden Gorge in the Heart of Tbilisi

A few minutes' walk from the sulfur-bath domes of Abanotubani, the dense fabric of Tbilisi's Old Town gives way, without warning, to a narrow basalt gorge. The canyon walls rise sharply on both sides, the street noise drops away almost at once, and a path runs along the stream bed — over wooden walkways and small bridges — toward a waterfall at the gorge's upper end. That this exists in the middle of the capital of Georgia (the country in the South Caucasus), within five minutes of one of the busiest tourist districts in the country, is the kind of thing that takes a moment to register on first encounter.

What is the Leghvtakhevi Waterfall?

The Leghvtakhevi Waterfall is a roughly 22-meter waterfall at the head of a narrow basalt gorge in Tbilisi's Old Town, immediately behind the Abanotubani sulfur-bath district. The gorge is carved by the Tsavkisistsqali stream, which descends from the Mtatsminda range, runs through the National Botanical Garden, and drops over a basalt ledge as the waterfall before joining the Mtkvari. A short, easy path (about 15–20 minutes) leads from Abanotubani up the gorge to the falls, crossing the stream on small wooden bridges; the gorge's upper end connects to the Botanical Garden. The walk is free, open at all hours, and lit in the evening — an unexpected pocket of nature a few minutes from the heart of the Old Town. Its name comes from the Georgian leghvi, "fig," after the fig trees that once filled the gorge.

The gorge and the falls

The Leghvtakhevi gorge ("fig gorge") is carved by the Tsavkisistsqali stream — the same watercourse that runs through Abanotubani and is bound up with the natural hot springs that gave Tbilisi its name. The stream descends from the forested Mtatsminda slopes above the Old Town, passes through the National Botanical Garden, and where it drops over a basalt ledge before entering the narrower canyon it forms the waterfall — about 22 meters high — that gives this stretch its character. The falling water, the spray, the enclosing rock walls, and the vegetation clinging to the canyon sides create a microclimate that feels several degrees cooler and markedly quieter than the streets above. The gorge has a long history — historically it separated the old Kala district from the rest of the city, and the waterfall is mentioned in sources as far back as the 15th century — and the walkways and bridges that make today's walk so easy were renovated in 2012.

The walk

The approach from the Abanotubani end is straightforward and needs no particular fitness or preparation. The path follows the stream up the canyon, crossing it several times on small wooden bridges, the rock walls narrowing as you go deeper; it's a short walk — about 15–20 minutes of easy going — and well maintained and accessible for most visitors. In places the canyon walls are close enough to touch on both sides at once, which gives the walk a slightly enclosed, exploratory quality that contrasts nicely with the open spaces of the Old Town above. Most visitors spend around 30–40 minutes on the round walk with photos and a pause at the falls.

The seasons change the character of the place. In summer, as the stream runs lower, the falls are calmer — but the gorge still offers real relief from the city heat, the shade and moisture keeping it noticeably cooler than the exposed streets. In spring, with the stream swollen by rain and snowmelt off the upper slopes, the waterfall is at its most powerful and the sound carries the length of the gorge. In winter it can partly freeze. Continuing past the waterfall connects the walk to the National Botanical Garden, extending it into the broader natural landscape behind the Old Town.

An evening visit

The gorge and waterfall are lit after dark, and the mix of the lighting, the moving water, and the enclosed basalt walls makes for an atmosphere quite different from the daytime — slightly theatrical, the light catching the spray and the wet rock. Coming from the busy terraces of Shardeni Street or the Abanotubani baths into the sudden quiet of the canyon is one of the more unexpected contrasts available within a short walk in central Tbilisi.

Location and connections

The gorge links naturally to several of the most-visited parts of the Old Town. The lower entrance is beside Abanotubani, within a short walk of the Juma Mosque, Narikala Fortress, the Mother of Georgia, and the cable-car station. The upper end opens into the National Botanical Garden — so a combined visit (gorge, waterfall, and garden) makes a natural half-day through the southeastern corner of the Old Town and the landscape immediately behind it. The walk can be done in either direction, and pairing an upward route through the gorge with a return through the Old Town streets (or the reverse) makes the most of the contrast between the natural and the urban.

Getting there and visiting

• Location: Leghvtakhevi Gorge, behind the Abanotubani sulfur baths, Old Tbilisi — the entrance is accessible from the streets behind the bathhouses (well signposted once you're in Abanotubani).
• Getting there: Walk from Abanotubani (the falls are at the end of the gorge path, past the Orbeliani/Chreli Abano bathhouse); about 15–20 minutes on foot from Liberty Square metro through the Old Town. Driving into the Old Town isn't advised — park centrally and walk.
• Hours: Open at all times; the path is lit in the evening.
• Admission: Free (the gorge walk; the Botanical Garden charges separately).
• Tips: Wear comfortable shoes (the path can be uneven); allow ~30–40 minutes; combine with the sulfur baths and/or the Botanical Garden.
• Combine with: Abanotubani and the sulfur baths, the Juma Mosque, Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia, the cable car, and the National Botanical Garden — the whole southeastern Old Town cluster.