Legend has it that King Vakhtang Gorgasali was hunting in the area, shot a pheasant and it fell into one of the natural hot springs. When he found it, it was fully boiled and he decided, based on the hot waters, that the area would be an ideal place to locate a city. The city was named Tbilisi (Tbili = warm).
King Vakhtang moved the capital of his kingdom (then known as Iberia) from Mtskheta, about 20 km away, to Tbilisi at some point in the late 5th Century.
Archaeological evidence has found Roman style baths in the city that date as far back as the 1st century. Today’s thermal baths are based on a Persian tradition, most popular at the time of the original Silk Road when there were 63 baths. This had reduced to just 10 by the period of the Russian Empire, when the baths of Abanotubani saw famous bathers like Pushkin and Dumas. Now there are just five baths in operation.
The sulphur baths are a part of Tbilisi’s core identity. High in sulphur and other minerals, with a constant temperature of 38°C to 40°C, the hot waters have long been used as a therapeutic aid for a variety of conditions including skin disorders and arthritis.
The naturally spring-fed public sulphur baths have been an essential part of life in Tbilisi for centuries, with citizens spending entire days relaxing there, even throwing formal dinner-parties inside or using the baths as a match-making tool for future mothers-in-law to check out what their sons were getting in their new wives.
Alexander Pushkin was one of many famous people to try the warm waters, saying of his experience, “I have never encountered anything more luxurious than this Tbilisi bath.”
Located in the Old Town, in the sulphur- scented Abanotunbani district, the underground public bath houses can be spotted by the terracotta tiled domes and small chimneys sticking above ground to let out the steam of the rooms below. The oldest is ‘Erekle’s Bath,’ whilst the most recognizable is ‘Orbeliani’ with its façade of mosaic tiles- sadly closed since the renovation works started to open up the river as a tourist spot some years ago.
The Abanotubani area is nestled between the Sololaki mountain range and the Mtkvari River. A few years ago the then-carpark was opened up to reveal the spring-fed river below and a nice tourist spot was made, allowing strollers to walk right to the Tsavkisi waterfall as it spills out of the Botanical Gardens above.
A trip to the baths is a must for any visitor to Georgia’s capital. The bath houses offer a variety of services to suit most tastes- from communal rooms (for the least shy among you) to private bath chambers ranging in size and luxury. Soap up, scrub, wash off and start again, and for a few extra GEL, throw in a ‘peeling’ or massage. You’ll come out glowing, soft, satisfied and having had a little taste of another thing that makes Tbilisi so special.
Below, we’ve selected the best of the offerings and provided the details you need to make the choice that’s right for you.
TIPS: Smoking and drinking is allowed only in the antechambers of the private baths, not within the bath chambers themselves. In communal bath rooms, you may find someone lighting up in the changing rooms but certainly not in the bath chambers themselves.
It is unadvisable to drink alcohol during the bathing process and avoid bathing at all if pregnant or if you have a heart condition.
Take off silver jewellery as the sulphur water will taint it (nothing an overnight sit in vinegar or soda won’t cure, but it saves the hassle just to take it off before you dip!).
‘Communal rooms’ are separated into ‘Men’s’ and ‘Women’s’. You will not necessarily get a bath in these communal rooms, especially if you’re a woman- you may find just a wall of showers, as in Bath House No.5, which, on busy days, means a bit of push and shove to get your turn under the hot water, only to have to step out of the way while you’re soaping up. Smile and share!
You can buy or hire everything you need in the bath house or in nearby mini-markets (one-use shampoo, razors, scrubbing sponges, etc) but it’s always a cost-saver to take your own- and as the 2 GEL towels consist of a sheet of cotton, perhaps your own would be better! There are no hair-driers but sockets are there for your convenience.
Most communal rooms have lockers but the key is controlled by the attendant in charge. I’ve never had anything go missing but I would still suggest you leave valuables at home.