Red Fedora Diary • Tbilisi & Beyond Travel Blog

Red Fedora Diary • Tbilisi & Beyond Travel Blog 🇬🇪 Tbilisi-born Local | Welcome to my Georgia
✨ Destination tips & curated city guides
🔍 Exploring beyond the usual, one destination at a time

Red Fedora Diary focuses on stories and articles on places to travel, hotel recommendations, and product reviews, primarily focusing on detailed city guides to popular and less-traveled destinations, all done with personal storytelling to influence readers' choices and behaviors.

Tomorrow, May 26, Georgia will celebrate Independence Day.In addition to the main military parade and oath-taking ceremo...
25/05/2026

Tomorrow, May 26, Georgia will celebrate Independence Day.

In addition to the main military parade and oath-taking ceremony on Freedom Square, there will be festive events and activities happening all over central Tbilisi throughout the day.

If you are planning to be in the city, here are some highlights to check out:

📍 Leonidze Park
🕛 12 pm-7 pm — Children’s concerts by various groups and performers
🕛 12 pm-8 pm — Entertainment area with masterclasses, coloring stations, games, soap bubble and illusionist shows, fairy tale readings by costumed actors, and more

📍 Khazina & Pkhovi Streets
🕛 12 pm-8 pm — Sports space with board games, basketball, football, padel, relaxation areas, exhibitions, children’s activities, and sports-themed installations

📍 Purtseladze Street
🕛 12 pm-8 pm — Wine & Wheat space with wine bars, local winemakers, exhibitions, installations, and rest areas
🕑 2 pm-6 pm — Children’s activities including wreath making, handicrafts, herbarium, and pin-making
🕛 12 pm-4 pm — Live music and DJs

📍 Intersection of Purtseladze & Atoneli Streets
🕛 12 pm-7 pm — Art spaces, flower installations by Zurab Shevardnadze, café area, children’s workshops, and concerts

📍 Vekua & Italy Streets
🕛 12 pm-8 pm — Food corners and various food outlets

📍 Atoneli Street / Presidential Palace area
🕔 5:10 pm — Georgian anthem performed in the Presidential Palace courtyard
🕗 8pm — Gala concert

And if you’re elsewhere in the country, other cities also have special programs and events scheduled for tomorrow as well: https://1tv.ge/news/saqartvelos-damoukideblobis-dghestan-dakavshirebit-sazeimo-ghonisdziebebi-mteli-qveynis-masshtabit-gaimarteba/

Parts of the massive bas-relief inside the Sarajishvili Brandy Factory.Unfortunately, I couldn’t find much information a...
23/05/2026

Parts of the massive bas-relief inside the Sarajishvili Brandy Factory.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find much information about it, but the composition includes thematic scenes of grapes, qvevri, folk motifs, flora, and fauna — all tied to Georgian wine and brandy culture.

La Gamba 🍕 - probably one of the thinnest-crust pizzas I’ve had in Tbilisi. Small space, cozy outdoor seating for warm ...
22/05/2026

La Gamba 🍕 - probably one of the thinnest-crust pizzas I’ve had in Tbilisi. Small space, cozy outdoor seating for warm sunny days, and genuinely delicious pizza.

Still on the hunt for more Italian restaurant and café recommendations though — what are your favorites in the city?

🚆 The Tbilisi–Baku railway might finally be returning.Two days ago, information began circulating online again that the ...
21/05/2026

🚆 The Tbilisi–Baku railway might finally be returning.

Two days ago, information began circulating online again that the Tbilisi–Baku train would resume service from May 26.

Honestly, it felt a bit too sudden after years of similar rumors, so while this announcement seemed more official than previous ones, I still hesitated to share it here right away (only posted it on stories) until there was a bit more confirmation from the other side.

Yesterday, however, Azerbaijan Railways published additional details on their official page, making the restoration of railway traffic much more real.

According to the preliminary agreement, trains are expected to run daily:

🚆 Baku → Tbilisi
Departure: 11:10 pm
Arrival: 08:41 am

🚆 Tbilisi → Baku
Departure: 9 pm
Arrival: 06:24 am

🎟️ Ticket prices are expected to start from 128 GEL one-way, depending on the departure station. They should be available online here: https://ticket.ady.az/

The train will reportedly be operated by a modern Stadler train with sleeping wagons and a restaurant car, carrying over 200 passengers in one direction.

⚠️ One important detail: based on a May 20, 2026, decision by the National Council of Azerbaijan, entry and exit between Georgia and Azerbaijan would be permitted for citizens of Azerbaijan and foreign citizens who are allowed to enter Azerbaijan visa-free.

This suggests that travelers who normally require an Azerbaijan e-visa — including many passport holders from the UK, EU countries, USA, and others — may still not be able to cross the land border or use the train just yet.

That said, there is still no information on whether this also means reopening the regular land border to cars, buses, marshrutkas, and other public transport, which has remained closed since COVID-19 restrictions were introduced six years ago.

Photo of a Georgian Railway Stadler train and NOT the exact one that is expected to run on the Tbilisi–Baku route.

I genuinely think this should be punishable.A fine is not enough.This feels like a crime against the city.
20/05/2026

I genuinely think this should be punishable.

A fine is not enough.
This feels like a crime against the city.

Avlabari random finds
19/05/2026

Avlabari random finds

One of the oldest doors I’ve stumbled upon in Tbilisi — and one of the few that actually has a date on it.Now I’m curiou...
18/05/2026

One of the oldest doors I’ve stumbled upon in Tbilisi — and one of the few that actually has a date on it.

Now I’m curious whether the rest of these letter-like details are decorative… or someone’s initials hidden in plain sight.

I hadn’t realized Avlabari had so many ruined and abandoned houses — some completely gone, others partly standing and sl...
16/05/2026

I hadn’t realized Avlabari had so many ruined and abandoned houses — some completely gone, others partly standing and slowly taken over by greenery.

Honestly, I felt a bit terrible taking photos of some of them, so I mostly resisted.

MAY 18 — International Museum Day 🏛️Almost all museums in Tbilisi mark the occasion in one way or another, so I thought ...
15/05/2026

MAY 18 — International Museum Day 🏛️

Almost all museums in Tbilisi mark the occasion in one way or another, so I thought I’d share a few of my personal favorites that are genuinely worth your time:

📍 Archaeological Treasury & Soviet Occupation Hall (Georgian National Museum) - For the breathtaking ancient jewelry crafted centuries ago, and the powerful, sobering look at Georgia’s 70 years under Soviet rule.

📍 Tbilisi State Academy of Arts Museum - For the mirror-mosaic halls — one of the most beautiful and unexpected interiors in the city.

📍 Writers’ House of Georgia - For its stunning Art Nouveau interiors and a rare chance to see how Tbilisi’s bourgeoisie lived in the early 20th century.

📍 Merab Kostava Memorial House-Museum - For understanding Tbilisi’s recent history and the people who led Georgia’s struggle against the USSR.

📍 Kote and Soso Tsereteli Memorial House-Museum - For a deeper look into Soviet-era life, the idea of personal freedom, and the tragic airplane hijacking case of the 1980s.

📍 Tbilisi History Museum - For tracing how the city developed over the centuries, from its Silk Road past to modern times.

📍 Tea Museum Shop - For its tiny but charming display of vintage tea-related objects and a peek into the rise, decline, and revival of Georgian tea production.

📍 Art Palace - For its incredible theater, cinema, and music collections — and the stunning furniture, costumes, and porcelain pieces.

📍 Elene Akhvlediani House Museum - For her warm, nostalgic landscapes of Tbilisi, Georgian towns, and European cities.

Do you have a favorite museum in Tbilisi?

For more museums and detailed information: https://www.redfedoradiary.com/museums-in-tbilisi/

Parnavaz Square and the view from there. Do you have a preferred viewpoint in Tbilisi?
14/05/2026

Parnavaz Square and the view from there. Do you have a preferred viewpoint in Tbilisi?

Part of an old wall on Victor Jorbenadze Street, marked as Isani Godol on Google Maps.I haven’t been able to find much r...
13/05/2026

Part of an old wall on Victor Jorbenadze Street, marked as Isani Godol on Google Maps.

I haven’t been able to find much reliable information about it yet, so if anyone knows more about this historical structure, I’d really appreciate the insight.

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