Bakuriani
Height difference:
1641-2702 m
Track length:
29 km
Season:
12 December — 4 April
The Bakuriani resort can be considered a real pearl of Georgia. It is located in its central part in the Borjomi municipality next to a small mountain village of the same name. Distance from the capital of Georgia Tbilisi is 185 km, from another large city of Kutaisi 158 km.
The resort has won a truly popular love thanks to its mild climate, magnificent landscapes of the Caucasus Mountains, excellent Georgian cuisine and the hospitality of local residents. Bakuriani is located at an altitude of about 1700 meters above sea level in the subtropical zone. Winters are mild and comfortable here, with average winter temperatures hovering around -7 degrees, so skiers in sun suits can often be seen on the slopes. High mountains provide reliable protection from the winds. Another important advantage is the minimal possibility of avalanches. The height of the snow cover is 0.65 meters on average. The sun shines most of the year.
The best weather conditions in February for skiing on the slopes, as well as free-ride, back-country, heli-skiing.
Working Hours
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 — 17:00 | 10:00 — 17:00 | 10:00 — 17:00 | 10:00 — 17:00 | 10:00 — 17:00 | 10:00 — 17:00 | 10:00 — 17:00 |
Season
On average, the ski season here lasts from mid December to mid April.
Ski pass prices
Day ski pass in main season worth GEL 40 for an adult and GEL 40 for children.
Slopes
Medium:
2.3 km
Hard:
13.2 km
Impossible:
13.5 km
Total length of tracks 29 km. The vertical drop is 1061 meters. Slopes are prepared with special equipment. Artificial snowmaking system ensures snow cover on slopes during unstable weather. In total, the resort has 30 snow cannons that cover 15% of the tracks. Artificial lighting works in the evening. There is a training slope for beginner skiers. Both adults and children can learn to ride on it.
- “Kokhta” is a great track for experienced athletes. It is a 1.5 km steep slope. In the upper part, the slope is 52 degrees, which is why this part of the route is considered the most difficult and dangerous.
- “Kokhta-2” is suitable for those skiers and snowboarders who have already reached a confident average level of skiing. The configuration of the slope is such that steep sections are replaced by flatter ones, so attention is required when descending. The length of the track is three kilometers.
- The length of the “Plateau” track is only 300 meters, it is wide and flat, it is comfortable and convenient to descend along it. The Plato has a 10-degree tilt angle, making it ideal for beginner adults and even children.
- Didveli trail can be called, perhaps, the most popular in the resort. It is located on the slope of Mount Sakvelo, which is very picturesque, as are the views of the surrounding mountains. The length of the longest section of the route is four kilometers. The lower part is quite sloping, suitable for beginners, and the upper part is difficult and steep, experienced athletes have a real pleasure here.
- “25-meter” – there are always a lot of people on this slope. This is due to the fact that it is easy and simple to ride on it, the track is ideal for training, and the prices are significantly lower than on other tracks of the resort. The track got its name because of a 25-meter springboard located nearby.
- The Mitarbi track reopened to tourists two years ago. Again, because for 30 years it was closed for skiing. The site is intended more for pros than for amateurs and in many ways resembles the Didveli track. The only thing Mitarbi is inferior in so far is in infrastructure.
Lifts
Baby lift:
2
T-bar lift:
9
Chairlift:
9
Gondola lift:
1
Tramway lift:
1
Vacationers are taken to the top 22 lifts: 1 aerial tramway, 1 gondola lift, 9 chairlift and 9 t-bar lift. There are 2 children’s lifts for beginners and children. The total length of the cable cars is 148 km, which are capable of transporting up to 21383 passengers/hour.
Starting from December 30, the lifts work until 22:00.
Infrastructure
The village called Bakuriani is small. Only 2.5 thousand inhabitants live in it. Almost all of them are employed in the tourism sector. There are many guest houses in the village, there are also hotels that have survived from Soviet times and rebuilt in a modern way, there are 3 *, 4 * hotels and luxury hotels. Tourists living in guest houses are usually offered 3 meals a day. Convenient when a hot lunch is waiting for guests to return from skiing. In addition, these are delicious Georgian dishes. In hotels, breakfast is usually included in the price. Many hotels have their own restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, spa salons.
Near the slopes, right on the slopes, there are many cafes where you can eat, drink hot mulled wine and taste delicious pastries.
The rental office is located in front of the lower lift. Any ski and snowboarding equipment can be rented there, there is a system of discounts.
Leisure
Bakuriani has several restaurants, bars, taverns, as well as a tennis court, a cinema and a library. In addition, there are excellently organized excursions:
- tour to the clear mountain lake “Tabatskuri”;
- visit to the ancient Georgian temple “Timotisubani”;
- visit to the mineral-healing regions “Tsagveri” and “Mitarbi”;
- tour to the famous mineral resort town of Borjomi;
- visit “Vardzia”, a medieval reserve monastery from the only surviving Finnish time of the legendary Queen Tamara;
- an extreme hike to the Bakurianitskali gorge with huge crystals.
Bakuriani resort works all year round. Not only in winter, but also in summer, you can climb on the ski lifts to admire the panoramic views of the Caucasus Mountains, and also to do
- jeeping, rafting, paragliding from the Borjomi gorges;
- take a toboggan ride;
- Fishing enthusiasts will appreciate the trout-rich mountain rivers.
And, of course, all year round they will treat you with delicious Georgian cuisine and famous Georgian white and red wines, including the legendary Khvanchkara.
History
Bakuriani resort has a rich and long history, which dates back to the 19th century. The royal family, who comes to the Caucasus in winter, fell in love with this beautiful place near Borjomi, famous for its mineral waters. I fell in love with the mild climate, century-old pine forests, clean air. It was here that the royal winter residence was built.
To make it convenient for the royal family to get from Bakuriani to Borjomi and back, a narrow-gauge railway was built. Part of it passed over the bridge, which was designed by the famous Gustave Eiffel himself, after whom the Eiffel Tower in Paris is named .. By the way, this road, which has become a landmark in itself, functions perfectly now. Twice a day, a two-car train runs along it. One of which can be conventionally called “business class”, and the other class “economy”. Train speed 15 km / h, from the window you can enjoy beautiful views of the mountains.
After the victory of the Bolsheviks, already in the 30s of the 20th century, Soviet leaders drew attention to Bakuriani. The resort began to develop as a prestigious center for tourism and skiing. All the Soviet years only a select few rested here. And besides, this ski resort hosted competitions of Union significance and trained athletes of the National Team of the Soviet Union.
After gaining independence, huge sums of money were invested in the development of Bakuriani. Modern hotels have been built, excellent tracks of different difficulty levels have been laid, lifts from European manufacturers lead to them.