Silversea Luxury Cruises A BATUMI

Discover the local traditions of Georgia on this half day outing by visiting a unique ethnographic museum and taking part in a Georgian cooking class and wine tasting experience.

Ethnographic Museum "Borjghalo"

Begin with an approximately 30 minutes panoramic city drive to the Ethnographic Museum "Borjghalo". The Southwest of Georgia has always been distinguished for its agriculture as well as folkloric and artistic history. The government gave the owner of the museum Kemal Turmanidze 3,000 square meters of land where he built all the buildings and beautiful greenery to live out his dream; to get visitors acquainted with a real Adjarian village with creations of his own. From childhood Turmanidze liked painting and making toys. He became interested in woodworking and is now an acclaimed master woodcarver. Everything in the museum was created by Mr Turmanidze; even the mannequins are made by him and they wear his own clothes! There are models of dwelling, agricultural and defense buildings, highlighting the daily life of Adjarian families, rich and poor. Discover approximately two hundred of his wood carvings and other interesting works of art.

Adjara Wine House, Cooking Class, Wine Tasting

Contemplate on the witnessed works of art during your brief ride to the Adjara Wine House. Upon your arrival, enjoy a fun cooking class and learn how to make a traditional Georgian dish - Khinkali, such as beef and pork dumplings. While the Khinkhali are being cooked, you will be taken on a tour at the Adjara Wine House where you will learn more about the history of Georgian wine and try some yourself. The tour ends with a tasting of the Khinkali you made.

Return to the coach and relax while watching the picturesque countryside on your way back to the cruise port.

Experience the splendid history, beauty and flavours of Batumi during this leisurely, half-day sightseeing excursion, involving minimal walking.

Batumi City Drive

_{Begin your tour with a panoramic drive in the city center passing by European Square and learn about the fast-developing resort city of Batumi.}

_{Batumi Botanical Gardens}

_{Reach the Batumi Botanical Gardens, located on the Green Cape, or 'Mtsvane Kontskhi', overlooking the Black Sea, among the largest and richest botanical gardens in the post-Soviet Union region. Batumi Botanical Gardens were established in 1912 and cover an area of approximately 111 ha (over a 100 football pitches), divided into nine geographic sections boasting more than 5,000 plant species from all over the world. Explore the gardens by buggies.}

_{Traditional Refreshments}

_{Next drive to a local restaurant by the seafront for a traditional snack. You will savor khachapuri, a Georgian dish of cheese-stuffed bread. And of course, you will have a chance to taste a glass of local wine in addition to tea or coffee.}

Explore the traditions, culture and landmarks of Georgia during this scenic highlights tour of Batumi.

Piazza Square and St. Nicolas's Church

Begin your tour with a drive to Piazza square and visit St. Nicola's Church to see so called "old Batumi". The St. Nicola's Church was built at the beginning of the XIX century and was the only church where religious services were conducted even during the Soviet times. You will be able to admire the exterior of the church, dominating Piazza Square, one of the charms of Batumi. It is one of the most beautiful places in the city, yet as its name suggests, it is distinctly Italian and so a little incongruous for Georgia, but in Batumi, when it comes to architecture, it seems anything goes! The Square covers about 5700 square meters and is surrounded by the Piazza complex, which includes a hotel, a couple of restaurants, a café and a pub. The architecture is distinguished by mosaics and stained glass art. The square usually hosts concerts of world famous musicians visiting Batumi. Piazza Square hosted concerts of Sting, Placido Domingo, Michel Legrand and many others.

European Square and Seaside Boulevard

Proceed with a short drive to European square. The statue of Medea is placed in the center of the square and symbolizes the connections of ancient Georgia with the European world. Continue with a short walk to Prymorsky (Seaside) Boulevard. Along the way stop at Neptune's square to admire the beautiful fountain surrounded by post-soviet residential buildings and neighboring ultra-modern sky-scrapers. Upon arrival at the boulevard, enjoy a short guided stroll to learn more about the modern development of the city and take some pictures with the gorgeous palms on the background.

Traditional Refreshments

Next drive to a local restaurant by the seafront for a traditional snack. You will savor khachapuri, a Georgian dish of cheese-stuffed bread. And of course, you will have a chance to taste a glass of local wine in addition to tea or coffee.

Gonio Fortress

Following the refreshment stop, drive approximately 30 minutes to Gonio Fortress. This fortification is an interesting historical and cultural attraction. According to Roman and Byzantine sources, Apsaros was formed as a settlement during the ancient times. A number of historians claim that Gonio fortress used to be the strategic, political, economic and cultural center of the Eastern Roman frontier. A theatre and hippodrome functioned here in I-III cc. AD. One of the twelve apostles of Christ St. Mathias is believed to be buried in Apsaros.

Discover the Jewish Heritage of Batumi and its Adjara region on this memorable half-day excursion.

Ethnographic Museum "Borjgalo"

Your first visit of the day will be the Ethnographic Museum "Borjgalo". The museum contains amazing works of Kemal Turmanidze - a master woodcarver. You will admire several hundred examples of his work, together with exhibits of Georgian cultural heritage there.

Jewish Synagogue

Afterwards drive to Batumi city center and visit the Jewish Synagogue, built by Semyon Vulkovich in 1904, inspired by the Hague and Amsterdam synagogues. In the interior admire snow-white walls, neat benches and the sky-colored ceiling.

Piazza Square and St. Nicola's Church

Continue to Piazza Square and visit St.Nicola's Church, in the so called "old Batumi". St.Nicola's Church was built at the beginning of the XIX century and was the only church where religious services were conducted even during the Soviet times.

Jewish Refreshment Stop

Following the tour you will have a traditional refreshment in a Jewish restaurant.

European Square and Prymorsky Boulevard

Then continue to European Square, home of a monumental sculpture of Medea, and walk to Prymorsky Boulevard, (seaside park) which is a popular seafront area to wlak and enjoy leisure-time with family and friends. Your will learn about the history of the boulevard from your local guide and be able to take pictures of lush evergreen vegetation and new modern buildings characteristic of new Batumi.

Explore the city of Batumi on foot. This will allow you to feel the busy but colorful life of the locals, while strolling along the maze of ancient narrow streets.

Piazza Square

Start your excursion with a brief walk from the port to Piazza Square. The Square, reminding of Italian style, is among the most beautiful site in Batumi. The large square is surrounded by the Piazza complex, which includes a hotel, a couple of restaurants, a café and a pub. The architecture is distinguished by mosaics and stained glass art. The square usually hosts concerts of world famous musicians visiting Batumi. At this point you will also see150-years old St Nicholas Church. It is one of the oldest churches in the city and an initiator of its construction was the Greek community of Batumi.

Batumi Cathedral, European Square, Medea Statue

Continue your walk to the Batumi Cathedral of the Mother of God. It is a Georgian Orthodox cathedral, originally built as a Catholic church early in the 1900s. Afterwards, proceed to European square, the heart of Batumi. The statue of Medea is placed in the center of the square and symbolizes the connections of ancient Georgia with the European world.

Wine Tasting

Follow with a wine-tasting experience at the well-known Khareba Winery. Here you will have an amazing opportunity to taste samples of one of the biggest Georgian Winery. In fact, its vineyards cover 745 hectares of land, where unique Georgian and European vine sorts are cultivated and high-quality wines produced. The company works towards the preservation of a local unique wine culture and produces wine by using ancient methods along with newest technologies.

Neptune Square, Prymorsky Boulevard

After the wine tasting, walk to Neptune Square to admire the Batumi Drama Theater and the Neptune Fountain, designed in traditional antique style with gold decorations. Your excursion will end with a laid-back stroll along the Prymorsky Boulevard, shaded by palm trees, before heading back to the port.

Discover the magnificent Machakhela National Park on this 4x4 adventure, introducing you to the flora, fauna, history and geology of this special area.

Machakhela National Park

An approximately 1 hour drive through countryside and narrow mountainous roads, will take you to the Machakhela National Park. The park is located south of Batumi, by the Machakhela Gorge, at the confluence of the Machakhela and Chorokhi rivers. The gorge is primarily known for its gunmaking traditions - manufacturing of Machakhela guns and heirloom daggers.

During your time in the park you will have the opportunity to see natural highlights, such as the Mirveti Waterfall and the beautiful forest. You will also be able to admire historical monuments, such as the Mirveti Stone Bridge dating back to 12^th Century, the Machakhela Gun Monument and an Embrasure and Piece of Ordnance of the Second World War

Georgian Lunch

After your exciting jeep safari, enjoy a traditional Georgian lunch in a local restaurant.

Machakhela Valley Ethnographic Museum

Your tour will culminate with a visit of the Ethnographic Museum of the Machakhela Valley. The museum is situated in the Machakhela Mosque. The 300 year old wooden mosque, formerly the cultural and religious center of the village, has been turned into an ethnographic museum showcasing the culture and development of the gorge. The intricate woodwork that adorns the mosque is unlike anything seen in other parts of the world. These traditional patterns, where hand-cut and affixed three centuries ago and have not been retouched or repainted since.

Your final portion of the experience is a panoramic drive back to Batumi.

_{Immerse yourself in the history and tradition of Georgia by visiting the impressive Petra Fortress, the Memorial House of a local poet and the home of a local family. Your half day excursion will take you through the beautiful countryside of the Adjara region.}

_{Petra Fortress}

_{Start your excursion with an approximately 45 minutes panoramic drive to Petra Fortress. It is located on the seashore rocky hill and apart from the terrestrial fence, it was also protected by rocky terrain (its Greek name is "Petra", which means stone or rock). Petra was considered an almost inaccessible fortress. It was built by John Strathegos in 535. The ruins are still preserved to this day. The archaeological complex includes the citadel, as well as the remnants of a town and the ruins of a palace, antique bath, agricultural and soldiers' housing.}

_{Countryside Scenic Drive}

_{Continue with an approximately 1 hour scenic drive through the countryside of the Adjara region, where the house of your local family is located. En-route you will see evergreen mountains and seascapes.}

_{Georgian Poet Memorial House and Adjara Home Visit}

_{Upon arrival, you will explore rustic Georgia and take a guided tour of the Memorial House of the famous Georgian poet Zurab Gorgiladze which represent a typical Adjara house. Then walk across the garden to a local Georgian home. At this point, you will meet your host, learn about Georgian lifestyles and traditions and relax with homemade khachapuri, local wine and juicy fruits.}

_{Your trip will end with a drive back to the port.}