Bridge Of Love: Tbilisi Travel Guide (4.5★)

A footbridge over the bath-house stream

This is a short crossing with a big name. Bridge Of Love spans the narrow stream that runs down the Leghvtakhevi gorge, at the point where it reaches Abano Street. Brick domes of the sulphur baths rise on one side. Wooden balconies hang off the hillside houses on the other.

The water below comes off the slopes under Narikala Fortress. Couples come here to leave padlocks, which is how the bridge got its name.

It’s a small place, and it isn’t on many tour itineraries. Most people find it while walking between the baths and the waterfall. Visitors consistently rate it well, but the review count is modest for somewhere this central.

Reaching Abano Street

The bridge is easiest to reach on foot from anywhere in Old Tbilisi.

• From Meidan (Gorgasali Square): walk south past the bath domes. Abano Street opens off the square in a few minutes.
• By metro: Avlabari (Line 1) is across the Mtkvari River, about 15 minutes’ walk via Metekhi Bridge. Liberty Square (Line 1) is a downhill walk through Old Town of roughly 20 minutes.
• By taxi: use Bolt or Yandex Go, set to “Abanotubani”. The lanes are tight, so expect to be dropped at the square.

The ground is cobbled and uneven, and the gorge path gets slick from spray near the falls.

Leaving a lock without the fuss

The bridge is public and unticketed, and Google lists it as open 24 hours. You don’t book anything and there’s no queue. You simply walk on.

• Bring your lock with you. Hardware stalls and souvenir shops around Old Town sell padlocks. Don’t count on a seller standing at the bridge.
• Use the Georgian name if you’re asking the way. The name translates as siq’varulis khidi (სიყვარულის ხიდი). Most locals will simply point you to “Abanotubani”.
• Keep the stream clean. By custom the key goes in your pocket or a bin, not in the water. The stream feeds a gorge people walk through, and it isn’t a wishing well.
• Step aside for bath traffic. The lane is narrow, and staff and guests heading to the bath houses use it all the time.

Ten minutes is enough for the bridge itself. Early morning tends to be quietest, before day-trippers drift down from the fortress cable car. That’s reasoning, not a measured figure. Late evening has the bath domes lit and few people about.

What surrounds it

The bridge works best as one stop on a loop through the district.

• Chreli Abano (Orbeliani Baths): the blue-tiled façade with twin minarets, which looks like a mosque. It’s the most photographed building in the quarter, a few steps away. Book private rooms ahead and check prices at the door or online.
• Leghvtakhevi Waterfall: follow the boardwalk upstream through the gorge for a few minutes. It ends at a cascade between cliff walls.
• Juma Mosque: on Botanikuri Street just above the baths. It’s a mosque where Sunni and Shia Muslims have long prayed together. Dress modestly and remove shoes.
• Narikala Fortress: the stepped climb starts nearby. Or take the cable car from Rike Park across the river.
• National Botanical Garden: sits behind the fortress ridge. Its hours change through the year, so check the official site.

Allow two to three hours for the whole circuit, and longer if you’re soaking in a bath.