Seaport and the city of Poti, Georgia: description, history, sights

Poti is a resort town with a weak infrastructure, which has suffered greatly because of military conflicts. However, this is the most ancient city of Georgia, which in its own way is attractive both for locals and tourists.

Poti (Georgia)

One of the major port cities on the Black Sea coast is located at the mouth of the Rioni River. A city with a centuries-old history annually attracts thousands of tourists, although tourism is rather poorly developed.

About 53 thousand people live here. Although in the holiday season they are significantly more not only due to those who come to rest in this city, but also due to those who stop at the time to go to other cities.

The city of Poti is rather a provincial city, but with a view of the sea, where fresh air, silence and tasty fruit, that's what attracts tourists here.

History of Poti

The history of the city begins with the fact that once in its place was another city of Fazis, which was an ancient Greek colony. There was a military garrison in the city, and it got the same name as the local river (now called Rioni).

After the Greeks left the coast, the city became part of the Georgian kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti and prospered for a long time until the Ottoman Empire conquered it. In 1654, the city became the center of the slave trade, it built a fortress, where the Turkish garrison was located. Under the influence of the Turks, the city was for a long time, until 1918. During this period, Poti was able to survive the German and British occupation and survive until the city and the port of Poti were part of the USSR. It became one of the important ports on the Black Sea, and in addition to this the infrastructure of the city as a resort developed well, but until Georgia became an independent state and military conflicts began.

Poti Attractions

In the city of Poti there are few sights, despite the centuries-old history, however everyone will find here what to see.

Be sure to go to the museum, which is open at the port to learn its history and look at the collection that it contains: models of ships, ancient anchors, sails and much more.

To get acquainted with the history of the city it is worth to go to the local history museum, where various documents and materials are presented, telling about different periods of life of the city and the lands in the vicinity.

In the Byzantine style, once a Poti cathedral was built, which was badly damaged in wartime and today is under restoration. Perhaps, once it will be restored to the end, and at the moment you can see its walls from the outside.

The whole family can go to the arboretum to see interesting plants growing in the tropics, which, perhaps you have never heard. There is a park in the center of the city and is suitable for families with small children, as well as for the elderly and young people.

The town of Poti is small and has few attractions, but in its surroundings one can see many natural monuments. For example, you should go to the lake Paleostomi, which was mentioned by ancient Greek historians.

Near Poti is the town of Zugdidi, which attracts its main attraction. This is the castle of Dadiani, built in the Middle Ages. On the territory of the castle there is a museum, where more than 40 thousand exhibits of different subjects are represented.

You can see the Georgian nature if you go to the river Rioni, which is one of the country's navigable rivers. Here is located Rion HPS, which produces electricity and supplies the nearest regions. Around the river there are beautiful forests and clearings, and in some areas there is a view of the mountains.

Rest in Poti and its features

As it was said earlier, during the military conflicts in the late 20th century the city of Poti was damaged and the system of tourist business was destroyed. Today this town can not offer tourists good service, which is in Tbilisi or Batumi, but will please everyone with beautiful nature and remoteness from megacities.

You can find a hotel in the city, but the cost of a room per day is very high, reaching at times $ 40, not corresponding to quality. Therefore, you can safely stop at the local residents, paying a small fee, where they will accept with joy and do everything not to cloud the rest.

Many come here to live in nature with tents, waking up to the singing of birds and the sound of the sea, as here there is almost untouched nature and there is no industrial complex.

Ideally, this place is for rest with children, because the weather in Poti in summer is very comfortable and there is no abnormal heat. In the afternoon you can go to the city beach or wild, choosing pebble or sand. On the beach you can not only lie or swim in the sea, but also play volleyball and other sports games. In the evening, you can go for a walk along the local streets, along the promenade along the sea and to the port to look at his work.

The city is attractive for those who love Georgian cuisine. In the local institutions you can taste well-known dishes: shish kebab, khachapuri, cheese, sweets, soup kharcho. Wine is not produced in this city, and it is better to buy it in Tbilisi or Batumi. For the season there are always a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown on plantations.

Climatic conditions

The city of Poti (Georgia) is located in the subtropical belt, which means that there is good weather here in winter and summer, when the winter temperature does not drop below 0, and in the summer it does not rise above +30 on average, although abnormal temperatures were recorded for this area.

The sea is very warm, and therefore the swimming season lasts from May to November, and in winter there is almost no snow.

Port of the city

Today it is considered that one of the main economic regions is Poti. Georgia in 2008 sold 51% of the shares of the port of the Arab company to develop a free zone and build new terminals. This was a very important step not only for the city, but for the entire country, which contributed to its development.

The port is an important connecting point, connecting Transcaucasia and Georgia. It is capable of receiving up to 5 million tons of cargo, and ships, submarines and barges are constantly coming here.

Tourists can take excursions and get acquainted with the work of the port, see how ships are unloaded and get the opportunity to ride a motor ship.

Twin Cities

Little is known that the city of Poti has a connection with other cities, which are called twin cities or twin cities.

If we briefly describe what sister cities are, then this is an established friendly link for mutual cooperation in a historical and cultural context. Such cooperation can be expressed in holding exhibitions, sports competitions, in the exchange of delegations and artistic groups, in order to better understand the life of peoples.

So, the sister cities of Poti are Burgas (Bulgaria), Georgia (USA), Larnaka (Cyprus), Nafplion (Greece) since 1990, Aktau (Kazakhstan) since 2005, Sevastopol since 2008.

How to get to Poti

The city of Poti (Georgia) is located on the Black Sea coast and it is possible to reach it both by air, and by water and by land. If the choice fell on the plane, then it will take to Tbilisi, and from there you can go by bus or taxi, the distance is only 59 km.

From Russia you can get to the boat, which will take you directly to your destination. It is also possible to arrive by train through Batumi, Tbilisi and other cities. You can get there by your own car, in advance laying out the shortest route.