Observation deck
City, port and sea from 256 m.
Andrew Milligan sumo — CC BY 2.0 · Robot8A — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Andrew Milligan sumo — CC BY 2.0 · Andrew Milligan sumo — CC BY 2.0 · Andrew Milligan sumo — CC BY 2.0
The Argo Cable Car lifts visitors from central Batumi, near the port and the old town, to the top of Mount Anuria, where a leisure complex and observation deck stand 256 m above sea level. The line is 2,586 m long, with 20 eight-seat cabins carrying about 500 people an hour, and the ride takes 10 to 15 minutes each way. After about five years of building, it officially opened on 17 August 2013; the Austrian firm Doppelmayr designed and manufactured the lift. It takes its name from the Argo, the ship that in Greek myth carried Jason and the Argonauts to Colchis, the ancient kingdom on this coast, and the summit complex was designed to recall the ship. The city, port and sea open out as the cabins climb over the rooftops. On top, a deck with tower viewers overlooks Batumi, its harbour, the Black Sea coast and the mountains inland. Restaurant Argo serves Georgian and European food on a 120-seat open terrace, beside a wine corner, a souvenir shop and the Batumi Digital Space, an immersive digital art museum entered on a combined ticket. On fine summer evenings, free shows of Georgian song and dance start at about 20:00. The lower station is on Baku Street, about 200 m from the Batumi Mosque (Orta Jame) and 400 m from Batumi Piazza, an easy addition to an old-town walk. It runs daily until 22:00, queues build on summer evenings, strong winds can pause the service, and the lower station has no car park of its own.
City, port and sea from 256 m.
Batumi lit up below.
Georgian song and dance from about 20:00.
Lower station on Baku Street, near the port and old town, Batumi
Batumi Mosque (Orta Jame)A historic mosque in Batumi's old town, popularly called «Orta Jame», the middle2 minutes walk4.6
Batumi PiazzaAn enclosed Italian-style square in Batumi's old town, opened in 2010 and ringed5 minutes walk
Europe Square and the Medea StatueBatumi's main square, in the centre of the city, is ringed by elegant buildings 11 minutes walk4.5
Ali and Nino StatueA giant moving steel sculpture by the Georgian artist Tamara Kvesitadze, designe11 minutes walk4.7
Alphabet TowerA steel tower rising about 130 metres at the northern end of Batumi Boulevard, b13 minutes walk4.4Yes: the operator describes a walking route down from the summit past hillside villages; the standard ticket is sold as a return. Walk it in daylight and in sturdy shoes.
Children aged 5 to 11 pay 9 GEL and under-fives ride free; the operator says the stations have lifts, so wheelchair users can ride.