For a long time, even under the Soviet Union, it was customary to say: “In Tskhaltubo everyone is treated. The name of this city was synonymous with a health resort. Together with Borjomi and Pitsunda, these three balneological resorts glorified Georgia throughout the Union. But since then much water has flowed. What is Georgia now? Tskhaltubo - did he stay the same? Immediately after the collapse of the USSR, the city fell into decay. But he quickly recovered and became even more beautiful. Along with the old health resorts, which were considered a great success 30 years ago, new motels were built. In this article we will talk about the modern resort of Tskhaltubo, about its tourist infrastructure and, most importantly, about water treatment. We will also provide recommendations and advice for tourists who have been there recently.
Where is Tskaltubo located and how to get there
The city is only ten kilometers from Kutaisi. Since Tskhaltubo was famous, a railway was laid to the resort with a population of only fifteen thousand people, which ends here. In Soviet times, a high-speed train from Moscow arrived here. And how to get to Tskhaltubo in Georgia now? The fastest way is by air. And you can fly not only to Tbilisi, from which the resort is more than two hundred kilometers away. The international airport named after David the Fourth Builder also has Kutaisi. And from this city to the resort of Tskhaltubo there is a minibus number 105. The fare in it costs 15 GEL. If you flew to Tbilisi, then you can get to Tskaltubo either by train or by bus. The resort is the endpoint of the Broceula railway line. From Tbilisi bus station Didube daily departs routes to Kutaisi and directly to Tskhaltubo. Travel time will take three hours. A bus ride will cost about forty lari.
History of Tskaltubo
This is a very ancient city. And the resort he has long been. The first mention of it dates back to the seventh century. And already in the twelfth century, Tskhaltubo was talked about as a resort. Georgian kings, as well as nobles and nobles came here to be treated for water. The last such ruler was Stalin. Suffering from a disease of his legs, the dictator somehow came to experience the healing power of the Tskhaltubo thermal waters. The baths helped him, and the great helmsman took the resort under his personal patronage. In the town on one of the buildings you can still see the bas-relief, made in the best traditions of socialist realism. It is called pathetically - "The meeting of the leader with his people." But Tskhaltubo was popular even before Stalin. As soon as the Russian Empire captured Georgia, the nobility of Moscow and St. Petersburg traveled to the resort. Today, Tskhaltubo, having survived the hard times of the 90s, again attracts vacationers from all over the world.
Resort Climate
Weather conditions largely depend on the location in the subtropical latitudes, within which Georgia is located. Tskhaltubo also has its own microclimate, which is also a healing factor. The resort is located on the southwestern spurs of the Samgural ridge. These mountains protect the city from cold winds in winter and scorching continental heat in summer. On the other hand, Tskaltubo is located in the east of the Colchis Lowland, which is why the Black Sea, which is located seventy kilometers, greatly affects the climate. In winter, it softens the cold. In January, it is +5 degrees and almost no snow. And in summer it is not as hot as in the rest of Georgia. Although the air temperature rarely drops below +25. Based on these climatic indicators, we can say that the high tourist season is long - from April to the end of October. But if you come for treatment, the balneological resort operates year-round. But accommodation prices in winter are falling markedly.
Mineral waters of the resort
But the main reason why they are going to Tskaltubo in Georgia is treatment. The city became famous as a balneological resort in the twelfth century. What kind of miraculous water comes here to the surface of the earth? There are several sources. Most of all, low-radion waters, which are used mainly for baths, have gained fame. But in Tskhaltubo there are also thermal nitrogen, acid chloride, calcium-magnesium and sulfate-bicarbonate sources. They are used for bathing, inhalation, irrigation. The temperature in these keys is + 33-35 degrees. Their chemical composition is such that the absence of salts and the presence of useful minerals make the water tasty and easily digestible. On the basis of sources there are sanatoriums, balneological hospitals and baths. The Russian professor of chemistry A. Schukarev, examining the water of Tskhaltubo, wrote that there are no analogues to it in any place on the globe.
Karst caves
This is another healing “feature” of the resort. Karst caves should not be confused with the eleven-kilometer excursion site, which was opened to visitors in 2011. Prometheus Cave, aka Kumistavi, is located in the vicinity of the city of Tskaltubo in Georgia. And what are karst grottoes useful for? In them, as in all caves, there is a special microclimate. In addition, the air in them is saturated with mineral salts. A prolonged stay in karst caves treats asthma, acute and chronic diseases of the lungs and upper respiratory tract. In addition, from being there, blood pressure normalizes, depression disappears, and nervous balance is restored. Karst caves, unlike radon baths, have no contraindications. The air there is devoid of any harmful impurities.
Indications
Tskaltubo balneological resort in Georgia is in good standing with doctors. They send their patients here for rehabilitation after severe fractures and operations. Back in the Middle Ages, the resort was famous for the ability to raise to the feet of a person who for many years was confined to a wheelchair. The effect of radon baths on bone and cartilage tissue and the spine is truly miraculous. Patients with cerebral palsy, osteomyelitis, osteochondrosis, arthrosis, arthritis are sent to the resort. Baths also have a beneficial effect on allergy sufferers and patients with respiratory problems (bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, chronic pneumonia). Calcium and magnesium ions of the Tskhaltubo sources strengthen vascular tone, increase the speed of nerve impulses. Therefore, both cores and people suffering from blood pressure disorders are sent to the resort. Gynecological and urological diseases, skin problems (psoriasis, acne and others) are also treated here. The relaxed atmosphere of the resort, baths and being in karst caves help to balance the shattered nerves.
Contraindications
Despite the claim that Tskaltubo heals everything in Georgia, you should consult your doctor before going into a radon bath. Reception of them can aggravate and make oncological tumors inoperable. Also, such baths are contraindicated for those who have already sufficiently irradiated their body on duty. Do not get involved in sitting in warm water for people with a hypertensive crisis. In any case, you should refrain from visiting the resort for diseases in the stage of their exacerbation. Also, radon baths will be harmful to people with sexually transmitted diseases, mental illness. They will exacerbate alcohol and drug addiction. People with blood diseases should also refrain from visiting the resort.
Procedures
The best place to stay in Tskaltubo in Georgia is a sanatorium. There, if necessary, they will conduct a complete diagnosis of the body, and the profile doctor will prescribe the necessary procedures. If your doctor sends you to the sanatorium, take a sanatorium book with a description of your medical history. The most common procedures in the resort of Tskaltubo are radon baths. They are used comprehensively in combination with massages and traction (for diseases of the spinal column). In water, this procedure is less painful. But one should be prepared for the fact that traction and massages can provoke an exacerbation of the disease, but it will be short-lived. For patients with respiratory problems and allergies, mineral water (inhalation) is used in conjunction with speleotherapy sessions. Gynecological and urological problems are treated by spraying. Therapeutic mud in Tskaltubo is imported, but procedures with their application also take place.
Sanatoriums of Tskaltubo in Georgia: prices
In 2010-11, the whole small town turned into a construction site. Old Soviet sanatoriums, such as Metallurg, Tbilisi, Imereti, Megabroba (Friendship), which were launched after the collapse of the USSR, were restored. But new health centers with the European standard of accommodation, food and other services were built. Among them we can mention the sanatorium "Tskhaltubo SPA Resort". In the former bathroom building No. 6 (the so-called Stalin's spring), the Balneoservice medical complex operates, where spa residents located in the private sector can undergo procedures under the supervision of qualified doctors. Accommodation depends on the resort and room category. Accommodation in a double room of a health resort will cost 110 GEL. But this price includes treatments and diet. Private accommodation is cheaper - from 50 GEL in the low season, from 70 - in the high.
Tskaltubo (Georgia): reviews
Those who have visited this city praise the treatment at local sanatoriums. It, according to reviews, gives a striking effect. People begin to feel better after completing a full course of recovery. And this effect persists for a long period. But those tourists who came to the southern resort just for relaxation, also do not get bored. In the vicinity of the city there are many historical and natural attractions. About a third of the territory of Tskhaltubo is occupied by the resort park. The city has many restaurants and cafes. Tourists recommend allocating at least a day to go to the Black Sea on the coast. After all, the city of Tskaltubo in Georgia is only seventy kilometers away from it. A trip to Kutaisi will bring a lot of positive emotions.