Georgia’s most popular seaside resort by the Black Sea today Is called Batumi.  The city is the capital of the Georgian autonomous republic of Adjara and is located only twenty kilometres from the Turkish border. It takes about 6 hours to travel from the hotel to Batumi. The resort which lies in the subtropical zone is known for its swaying palms, and a lot of tea and citrus fruits are grown there. In Gonio, fifteen kilometres south of Batumi, there is a well-preserved Roman fortress which also includes the grave of the Apostel Matthew.

 

Batumi’s economy flourished when the railway line and oil pipe line from Baku by the Caspian Sea was built at the end of the 19th century. This led to Batumi becoming the largest oil port at the Black Sea in the Russian Empire and a leading city within the international oil industry. Both the Swedish Nobel brothers, known for their inventions and today’s Nobel Price awards, as well as the Rothschild family, invested heavily in the city. Tough working conditions in the oil industry paved the way for increased support for Stalin and other revolutionaries which stood behind sabotage activities as well as cooperation with the Rothschild family. Today Batumi houses both a Nobel museum and a little Stalin museum. Downtown Batumi is currently being rennovated to the splendour and elegance that ruled the city a hundred years ago. The resort has a lot of cafes and restaurants, especially along the several kilometre long beach avenue.

 

The 2-day excursion includes return travel to Batumi, accommodation in a double/twinroom at a 3- or 4-star hotel in the centre of Batumi, one lunch and one festive dinner, a guided tour in Batumi and at the Nobel and Stalin museum as well as a visit to the fortress in Gonio. Departure from the hotel in the morning on day 1 and return to the hotel in the evening on day 2. The trip can be ordered though the hotel and is for groups with a minimum of 5 people. Booking well in advance is necessary.