Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia is a lively, bustling city built along the twisting valley of the river Mtkvari and for centuries was one of the greatest multi-cultural trading cities along the Silk Road.

The name 'Tbilisi' means warm and the city is famous for its hot sulphurous water, still used to this day as health-giving baths. This was one of the reasons that King Vakhtang Gorgasali moved his capital here from Mtskheta in 452 AD.

Elegant 19th century buildings line its leafy boulevards and in the old town wooden houses with carved wooden balconies hug the mountainside. Sights to visit include Siony Cathedral and the Anchiskhati Basilica dating from the 6th and 7th centuries, Narikala fortress, the history museum with its dazzling gold treasury, the arts museum, the mosque and the sulphur baths mentioned by Pushkin.