Restored facades
19th-century balconied houses, restored from 2010.
Francisco Anzola — CC BY 2.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Annie99o99 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shuvaev — CC BY-SA 4.0
Aghmashenebeli Avenue, one of Tbilisi's main avenues, runs through Chughureti on the Mtkvari's left bank, north from Saarbrücken Square. It is named after King David IV, Aghmashenebeli or the Builder, and is known for its balconied 19th-century houses. Its restored southern end, between Saarbrücken and Marjanishvili squares, is the heart of historic New Tiflis. German settlers from Württemberg founded a colony here around 1818. Named in 1851 after Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, a son of Tsar Nicholas I, the road filled with mansions, hotels and cinemas from the late 19th century; a plaque at No. 52 recalls Leo Tolstoy's stay from November 1851 to January 1852. Plekhanov Avenue from 1918, it later took the king's name. Some 70 buildings were restored from 2010 and the avenue reopened in November 2011; in 2016 the New Tiflis project renewed more houses and closed about 500 m, from No. 44 to Saarbrücken Square, to traffic. The cobbled pedestrian stretch is lined with café terraces, and boutiques of Georgian designers and bridal shops occupy some old ground floors. Marjanishvili Square, framed by Stalin-era buildings, stands on the site of a Lutheran church of 1897, demolished after the Second World War; the Marjanishvili Theatre, in an Art Nouveau building, is a few minutes' walk away. Marjanishvili metro station, one stop from Rustaveli, opens onto the square. Walk south-east along the avenue to Saarbrücken Square, about a kilometre; the Dry Bridge market is some 250 m beyond, across the river. Fabrika, a Soviet sewing factory turned hostel and café yard, is on nearby Ninoshvili Street.
19th-century balconied houses, restored from 2010.
About 500 m of cobbles and café terraces.
One of Georgia's leading theatres, in an Art Nouveau building.
Chughureti, from Saarbrücken Square north past Marjanishvili Square, Tbilisi
Rustaveli AvenueTbilisi's main avenue, starting at Freedom Square and running for about a kilome17 minutes walk4.8
Dry Bridge MarketAn open-air market of antiques and old curiosities in central Tbilisi, around th17 minutes walk4.5
Kashveti ChurchSt George's Church of Kashveti is a working Georgian Orthodox church on Rustavel20 minutes walk
Georgian National Museum (Simon Janashia Museum)Georgia's leading museum of history and archaeology, officially the Simon Janash23 minutes walk4.3The avenue has long been known for inexpensive Turkish restaurants, and Georgia's official tourism site also lists Middle Eastern ones. If halal matters to you, ask the staff before ordering.
No, only its southern end. From No. 44 northwards traffic uses the avenue, and beyond Marjanishvili Square it becomes a busy shopping road, with second-hand clothes shops toward its northern end.