Quiet lake
Among wooded hills.
Mart Laanpere — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Александр Сигачёв — CC0 · Department of State/U.S. embassy to Georgia — Public domain · Ali Karimian — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Yuri Samoylov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yuri Samoylov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mostafameraji — CC0 · Brad4826 — CC BY 3.0
A small, peaceful lake on the edge of Tbilisi, called «Kus Tba» in Georgian, meaning Turtle Lake, on the northern slope of the Mtatsminda ridge at about 687 metres, above the leafy Vake district. Wooded hills surround it, and walking trails above it look out over the whole city. The lake is small, about 180 metres long and 50 wide and under three metres deep, fed by rain, groundwater and a small stream. Its woods join Vake Park on one side and the Mtatsminda forests on the other, forming a green lung for the capital. It is one of the favourite outings of Tbilisi's residents: the swimming season opens in summer, cafés and restaurants line the shore, and there is a small pitch, a children's playground, boats and a floating stage for concerts. The open-air ethnography museum sits on the slope above it, so the two combine easily. Visiting is free. A modern cable car climbs from Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue in Vake in about six minutes, and the lake can also be reached by car. It is loveliest on weekday mornings, or on summer evenings when the cafés are busy.
Among wooded hills.
A summer outing.
City views.
Northern slope of the Mtatsminda ridge above Vake, Tbilisi
Take the cable car from Chavchavadze Avenue in Vake, about six minutes, or go by car or taxi.
