Rustavi is a city in the Kartli region of Georgia.
Rustavi (რუსთავი) is a post-Soviet upcoming city of 121,786 people. With a new town square, a theatre in the process of being renovated, things are happening in this former industrial town. Only 25 minutes from Tbilisi, packed full of Soviet architecture, surrounded by abandoned factories, derelict Soviet-era parks, and dusty hills, it's something different.
The local steel mill is working at a fraction of its former Soviet production capacity. However, a big income comes from the local car market, which is the biggest one for used cars in the southern Caucasus. It is located on the western side of the Tbilisi-Baku highway.
The town square is quite nice, there's a river, and plenty of crumbling apartment buildings to wander past. They are lit up at night, which looks quite nice. Nothing like a paint job. There's a beautiful theatre as well.
- The main boulevard (Merab Kostava Ave) invites for pleasant strolls.
- Steel Mill. Tours can be done, though not spontaneous. Use their website to contact them ahead, to let them organise a tour for groups.
- The city hall. with the newly designed square and the bronze orchestral groups are in the middle of Kostava.
- There is a theatre along Niko Pirosmani Street near the city hall.
- The ethnographic museum. is at the corner of Odisharia and Mshenebelta Street.
- The Park of Culture and Rest. lies near the Mtkvari river.
- Rustavi fort. Entrance via the Park of Culture and Rest. There is no entrance near the fort itself.
Steel Mill. Tours can be done, though not spontaneous. Use their website to contact them ahead, to let them organise a tour for groups.
The city hall. with the newly designed square and the bronze orchestral groups are in the middle of Kostava.
The ethnographic museum. is at the corner of Odisharia and Mshenebelta Street.
The Park of Culture and Rest. lies near the Mtkvari river.
Rustavi fort. Entrance via the Park of Culture and Rest. There is no entrance near the fort itself.
- Rustavi Sioni Church.
- Friendship square. Great for strolling and coffee.
- WWII Memorial.
- Caucasus Auto Trade Center. As mentioned before, the biggest in the Caucasus. Probably the best option if you want to explore the region with your own car, though getting into Iran might be difficult. It also inhabits a customs counter where all cars to be imported to Georgia have to be registered.
- Rustavi International Motorpark. A race track from the 70s that has been renovated recently and supposed to become venue for the F3.
Rustavi Sioni Church.
Friendship square. Great for strolling and coffee.
WWII Memorial.
Caucasus Auto Trade Center. As mentioned before, the biggest in the Caucasus. Probably the best option if you want to explore the region with your own car, though getting into Iran might be difficult. It also inhabits a customs counter where all cars to be imported to Georgia have to be registered.
Rustavi International Motorpark. A race track from the 70s that has been renovated recently and supposed to become venue for the F3.
- Gardabani Managed Nature Reserve. 3483 hectars and established in 1996. Main protection purpose are the forest groves in this area. Not so touristy yet, with only a few walking tours.
Gardabani Managed Nature Reserve. 3483 hectars and established in 1996. Main protection purpose are the forest groves in this area. Not so touristy yet, with only a few walking tours.
- For a Western traveller, the most striking thing about Rustavi is its purely Soviet aesthetic. That said, many Westerners find that the best thing to do is to simply walk around. Rustavi is largely untouched by tourism, so the observer can see Georgian city life in a very pure form.
- Rustawkalakoba. End of October. The city festival of Rustavi.
- The Motorpark in the west of the city also contains a training centre. In addition, you can rent motor cross bikes for exploring the surrounding steppe.
- Go to the cinema, the theatre, check out a cafe, drink some beer.
For a Western traveller, the most striking thing about Rustavi is its purely Soviet aesthetic. That said, many Westerners find that the best thing to do is to simply walk around. Rustavi is largely untouched by tourism, so the observer can see Georgian city life in a very pure form.
Rustawkalakoba. End of October. The city festival of Rustavi.
The Motorpark in the west of the city also contains a training centre. In addition, you can rent motor cross bikes for exploring the surrounding steppe.
Rustavi has two bazaars in town. There is the old bazaar, located incidentally in Old Rustavi, and there is the new bazaar, located in New Rustavi.
- Old Bazaar.
- New Bazaar. The new bazaar is bigger, newer, and cleaner. Ideal to buy vegetables, nuts, cloths, etc.
Old Bazaar.
New Bazaar. The new bazaar is bigger, newer, and cleaner. Ideal to buy vegetables, nuts, cloths, etc.
- Rustavi has its fair share of Georgian restaurants tucked inconspicuously all over town. The standard fare of khinkali, khachapuri, lobio, is all available. The prices are generally the same across the board.
- Near the city hall there is a branch of the legendary lemonade Laghidze, where you can also get some inexpensive snacks (khachapuri, etc.).
- (Bar) Hollywood, კოსტავას 22 (City plaza (meria) in old Rustavi. Decent Georgian/European/American food with English menu
- Cafe Askili, Alexandre Pushkini 2 (near Rustavi Arena, +995 593840084. 13:00-01:00. Highly recommended by locals and travellers alike, just do not get turned off by the surroundings. $-$$.
- Cafe Ukrainka, Red Bridge Highway 23 km (Hotel Autobazroba, +995 591706225, +995 599990791. 08:00-22:00. The hotel near the Racing Track also features a delicious restaurant. $.
(Bar) Hollywood, კოსტავას 22 (City plaza (meria) in old Rustavi. Decent Georgian/European/American food with English menu
Cafe Askili, Alexandre Pushkini 2 (near Rustavi Arena, +995 593840084. 13:00-01:00. Highly recommended by locals and travellers alike, just do not get turned off by the surroundings. $-$$.
Cafe Ukrainka, Red Bridge Highway 23 km (Hotel Autobazroba, +995 591706225, +995 599990791. 08:00-22:00. The hotel near the Racing Track also features a delicious restaurant. $.
Georgian wine and chacha can be found at almost every restaurant and convenience store around town.
- Guda Buda, 2 Megobroba St., New Rustavi. A great place to grab a coffee or beer and wireless internet.
- Cafe Askili also features a nice café and bar, open until 01:00—see above.
- Ghvinos Saxli / Wine House. A particularly nice establishment to find Georgian spirits. It is owned by an English-speaking Georgian man whose staff is very helpful in picking out a great bottle of Georgian wine or chacha. And the price is right.
Guda Buda, 2 Megobroba St., New Rustavi. A great place to grab a coffee or beer and wireless internet.
Cafe Askili also features a nice café and bar, open until 01:00—see [[#Eat|above]].
Ghvinos Saxli / Wine House. A particularly nice establishment to find Georgian spirits. It is owned by an English-speaking Georgian man whose staff is very helpful in picking out a great bottle of Georgian wine or chacha. And the price is right.
- David Gareja Monastery Complex – A 6th century cave monastery clinging onto a rocky hillside lying meters away from Azerbaijan, with beautiful frescos. Can be reached by taxis or organized tours, no public transport available from Sighnaghi (only Tbilisi). 50 km from Sighnaghi, a detour along the way to/from Tbilisi.
- Azerbaijan – with Ganja being the first and one of the largest cities after the border. Though, the daily Ganja-Tbilisi marshrutka does not go through Rustavi, but Marneuli. Best to catch a ride to the border and another one into Azerbaijan after crossing.
- Tbilisi – Getting back to Tbilisi is easy. There are Tbilisi-bound marshrutkas passing down the main street constantly.
To catch one of these marshrutkas, simply stand anywhere along Megobroba Street (Rustavi's main road) and flag one down. Any marshrutka going to Tbilisi will say თბილისი (Tbilisi) on the top on its windshield sign. The best places to catch marshrutkas is from a bus stop, because the marshrutka will slow down significantly, giving you a chance to read the windshield sign.
However, all of these constantly-passing Tbilisi-bound marshrutkas are going to different places in Tbilisi. To know where each Tbilisi-bound marshrutka is going specifically, the details will be listed underneath the word თბილისი (Tbilisi).
The marshrutka going to Politeknikuri (metro) will have a blue and white windshield sign. Underneath the word თბილისი (Tbilisi), it will say აჭარა (Achara).
The marshrutka going to Station Square (metro) will have a Tbilisi metro icon at the bottom with the word სადგურის (Sadguris) next to it.
Other marshrutkas going to Tbilisi will are going to ისანი (Isani), where there is a metro, and there is the rare marshrutka headed to Liberty Square--it will say ვაკე and თავისუპლების on the sign.
Marshrutkas running from Rustavi to Tbilisi begin quite early in the morning, and taper off around 10-11pm.