Abastumani

Abastumani

Abastumani is a small, undiscovered gem in the south central region of the Republic of Georgia. It had a population of 1,368.  Abastumani was once a Czarist spa town that now it lies nearly forgotten and in partial ruin, only visited by Georgians to breathe the fresh air. Currently the old Czarist spa is closed for renovations, but it's possible to go at night and the guard might let you enter to soak in the mineral rich water, but don't forget to bring your own beverages and a sense of adventure!

The history of Abastumani Observatory dates back to the 19th century and is associated with a brother of Russian Emperor Nikolai II, Grand Duke Giorgi Alexandrovich and a famous Russian astronomer Professor Sergei Glazenapp who set up a temporary observatory there, where in 1932 the Georgian National Astrophysical Observatory was founded as the first mountainous astrophysical observatory in the former Soviet Union. The observatory is located 250 km to the west of Tbilisi, on mount Kanobili at 1700 meters above the sea level. For a small fee you can go and look through the large telescopes at the stars and the moon and visit the small museum.