Batumi Piazza

Batumi Piazza is a planned architectural ensemble in the heart of the old centre, covering roughly 5,700 square metres, and it is designed to feel like the main square of a small Italian town. Most of the buildings around it date from the late 2000s and were designed by the Georgian architect Vazha Orbeladze to blend with one of Batumi’s historic districts. Arcades, balconies, loggias and decorative motifs mix classical European, traditional Georgian and eastern influences, and the whole square is overlooked by a clock tower that now houses a boutique hotel. The surprise is on the ground. At the middle of the piazza lies a vast marble mosaic, widely described as one of the largest figurative marble mosaics in Europe, created by a Georgian-Swiss designer. It spreads over about 106 square metres in eight concentric circles, with five sea-deity figures at the centre and a small mermaid modelled on the designer’s daughter. Millions of tiny tiles were assembled on site over around ten days, and standing at the edge to look down on it is part of the fun.

It is easy to underestimate the piazza because it is small, but it rewards a slow visit. Walk around the edge first to see the arcades and the carved details, then step onto the mosaic and look for the different figures. In the late afternoon, the light picks out the colours of the tiles and the warm tones of the buildings, and the cafes put tables onto the square.

The piazza is also a good starting point for exploring the old centre. Within ten to fifteen minutes on foot you can reach the neo-Gothic Batumi Cathedral, built at the turn of the twentieth century with three domes and stained glass, the Adjara museums and the quiet streets with their carved wooden balconies. Together they show a different Batumi from the glass towers on the seafront: one of Ottoman, Georgian and Russian layers from the age when the city was a trading port.

Practical details are simple. Buses that stop on Gogebashvili Street are the easiest public transport option, but taxis are cheap and the walk from the boulevard takes about fifteen minutes. Mapping apps do not always handle local bus routes well, so confirm your stop with the driver. Sunday markets are often held on the square, and during peak season artisans sell their work on stalls every day.

For context, join a guided walking tour of the old town. Guides explain the story behind the square, point out the buildings that are real and those that are inspired by Italian design, and add tastings of local food and wine along the way. After your visit, take a coffee at one of the tables and watch the square as it moves from a morning photo spot into an evening meeting place.

Allow time for a coffee or a lunch here. The cafes under the arcades are good for people-watching, and the square is a calm place to sit when the boulevard is crowded. If you are interested in design, compare the buildings with the older streets nearby, where the real nineteenth-century houses stand beside newer constructions, and notice how the architects borrowed details to blend the old and new.