Black Sea Coast
BATUMI: A seaside resort and port in the southwest of the republic, Batumi is the capital of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic. Close to the Turkish border (20km/12.5 miles) away, the town has a decidedly Turkish character, with a mosque and 19th-century bath house. However, its charm lies less in any particular sights than in its lush, subtropical setting, among citrus groves and tea plantations, with mountains rising up from the edge of the sea. The Ajarian Museum (with its superb national costume collection), the circus, park, Botanical Garden and the theatre are also well worth visiting.
SUKHUMI: The capital of Abkhazia, in the far northwest of Georgia, was until recently a relaxed, sunny port/resort, renowned for its beaches fringed with palms and eucalyptus trees, lively open-air cafes and cosmopolitan population. The ruined 11th-century Castle of the Georgian Bagratid King, the Botanical Gardens, Shroma Cave with its amazing stalactites and stalagmites and the monkey-breeding farm were particular favourites among visitors. Abkhaz, Georgians, Greeks, Russians, Turks and others lived here in apparent harmony until recent years when the city was overtaken by civil war and thousands of refugees fled.
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