Batumi Boulevard

Batumi Boulevard is a palm- and magnolia-shaded seafront promenade stretching roughly seven kilometres along the Black Sea, and it is rightly considered the beating heart of Batumi, capital of the autonomous republic of Adjara.

History & Significance

Its history reaches back to 1881, when the city authorities set out to turn the marshy shoreline into a healthy place to stroll. From the summer of 1884 the Prussian gardener Alexander Ressler laid the first plantings, and after his death the work was carried on by Michael D'Alphonse, a French nobleman and gardener remembered as 'the kind genius of the Batumi coast'. The twenty magnolia trees planted in 1889 became the seed of today's subtropical canopy; the first colonnade, built as a sea gate, followed in 1934, and the musical fountains arrived in 1977. Recognised since 1987 as a national monument of Georgian garden-park art, the boulevard was extended southward in 2009 as the 'New Boulevard' to modern Spanish design standards, gaining more than forty thousand trees and plants, dancing illuminated fountains, cycling and jogging tracks, playgrounds and contemporary sculptures.

Architecture & Nature

Its architecture and nature intertwine: on one side a modern skyline of glass-and-steel towers, on the other historic colonnades, a Japanese garden and century-old trees. Its tourist value is very high; the moving Ali and Nino statue, the Alphabetic Tower and the Ferris wheel of Miracle Park all sit at the boulevard's northern end, and at dusk the evening light shows begin.

Visiting, Access & Tips

For Turkish agencies the boulevard is indispensable, because the Sarpi border crossing lies just fifteen kilometres away, entry is by ID card without a visa, the wide car parks easily accommodate tour coaches, and a single walk takes in the city's most photogenic icons. The average visit lasts between one and a half and three hours; in guided programmes it usually opens the city tour or serves as an evening free-time stop. Nearby, Europe Square, the Piazza, the Old Town, 6 May Park and Lake Ardagani are all within walking distance.

Route & Best Time

The best photo spots are the Ali and Nino statue, the silhouette of the Alphabetic Tower and the colonnaded sections. Access is easy: it is reached on foot from the centre, and bicycles or e-scooters can be rented. Disabled access is generally good thanks to flat, wide surfaces. The best season runs from May to October; July and August are peak, and the evening hours are liveliest. The recommended route is to start at Miracle Park in the north and walk south along the shore toward the dolphinarium and the New Boulevard.