Kutaisi in a Day – “World’s End” City Walk + Monastery Hop

Golden-fleece lore, $2 cherries & 12th-c. frescoes – all doable on foot + one 20-min marshrutka. 🗺️ One-Map Loop (≤5 km total) 1️⃣ Bagrati Cathedral – 1 km uphill from centre Mint-green dome, giant buttresses, stones scattered like Lego. Lawn = sunset magnet; face west for pastel city + river glow. 📸🌅 2️⃣ Green Bazaar (Mtsvane Bazar) – downhill 5 min Price joy: 7 Lari ≈ 1 kg cherries, 5 Lari dense blueberry box, 35 Lari/kg fresh-ground coffee. Bring small bills; vendors smile if you sample before buy. 🍒 3️⃣ Colchis Fountain – 2 min walk LED light-up after 20:00; selfie central for local teens. 4️⃣ White Bridge (Tetri Bridge) – 3 min White railings + pale rock riverbed = monochrome postcard. Bronze boy with raised hat at south end – rub his boot for luck. 5️⃣ Mother Georgia Mural – hidden lane behind bazaar Show photo to any grandma → finger-point directions in 5 seconds. 🚐 Half-Day Add-On: Gelati Monastery Why: 1106-built, UNESCO, “Golden Age” murals, panoramic ridge. How: minibus from fountain every 30 min, 20 min ride, 3 Lari. (see Pic 12 for timetable) – return bus waits at gate 25/55 past the hour. What you see now: Main dome under scaffolding, but St George, Nativity, St Nicholas side chapels open – cobalt frescoes still sparkle. ⛪️✨ Taxi alternative: 15 Lari one-way, ask driver to wait 40 min. Optional extra stop: Motsameta Monastery – cliff-hanging, 10 min before Gelati. Tell driver “Motsameta too” – 2 km forest walk, no extra charge if already hired. 🍷 Dinner / Wine Pit-Stop Memoire Wine Room – 1 block from fountain Brick vaults, 200+ Georgian bottles, local playlist. Try Tsolikouri white (Imereti region) + chvishtari (corn bread with sulguni). Expect 40-50 Lari pp with wine – no service fee. 🚌 Transit Cheat-Sheet Mestia ➜ Kutaisi: 4 hrs, 40 Lari, departs 8 a.m. (Zugdidi connection). Kutaisi ➜ Tbilisi: Minibus 4 hrs / 20 Lari (every hour until 18:00). Night train 9 hrs – scenic but slow; skip if time-tight. 🎒 Pack Me 1 Lari coins for bazaar coffee shots Scarf for monastery shoulders Power-bank – you’ll photograph every fresco & cherry pyramid Bottom line: Kutaisi won’t eat your wallet or your clock – just your heart, one free church at a time. #Georgia #Kutaisi