Explore Tskaltubo’s Abandoned Sanatoriums in Georgia

Last updated: Mar 12, 2025

If you are looking for off-the-beaten-path places to visit, feel history around you and combine urban exploration, outdoors and high level comfort, then Tskaltubo city and its surroundings are for you.

Why Tskaltubo Is a Must-Visit for Urbex Travelers

Tskaltubo is one of the top destinations for urban exploration in Georgia, offering a rare chance to step inside monumental abandoned Soviet sites that still hold echoes of their grandeur. Once the Soviet Union’s most luxurious spa resort, the town is now a living museum of crumbling marble staircases, grand ballrooms, decaying bathhouses, and long-forgotten culture houses. Its surreal atmosphere and accessibility make it a dream for urbex photographers, history buffs, and offbeat travelers alike.

The Soviet Spa Legacy: A Short History of Tskaltubo

First of all, the story behind these buildings starts very early. Back in the XII-XIII centuries, the place where Tskaltubo is now was already known and visited for its healing mineral waters. Later in the 17th century, specific effects of these healing streams were described in the Berlin Society of Friends of Natural Science. It forced the discovery of unique waters, and after chemical analyses in the 19th century, it was declared to have medical features, especially for cardiovascular and rheumatic conditions. 

But the biggest impact on resort development was given by Joseph Stalin. In his young days, while fighting for revolutionary ideas, he had a lot of “misunderstanding” with the government. Thus, he had spent quite a time in prisons and exiles, suffering hard conditions. Which of course, affected his future health. Stalin was suffering from leg pain, according to some sources, it was rheumatism. In Moscow, he was advised by doctors to visit Tskaltubo waters. Stalin, as Georgian, had heard about this place, listened to advice, and received treatment in 1931-1932. For his visit, the first 3 spa complexes were built in record times by 4000 workers. After this significant patient city started booming. There were built 16 more complexes of gorgeous marble sanatoriums, large roads, and round junctions that were quite uncommon for soviet architecture in those days.

Soviet Union citizens have declared “Right For Rest,” which means that a comrade who worked well for the party, production and society had the right to receive a voucher covered by the state to visit a resort where he would get energy for future feats of communist architecture. This way, the resort received 125000 visitors annually, mainly by railway, which had daily direct connections with Moscow.

But everything ended up in 1991 after the Soviet Union collapsed. Compared to other resorts in Georgia (Sakartvelo) like Borjomi, visits to Tskaltubo were only by vouchers and were not that much popular among regular people, it wasn’t a place where you could just come yourself. Eventually, it caused a dramatic decrease in visitors from 125000 to 1000 in our days.

Today, many of these buildings stand abandoned, and they’ve become iconic destinations for those interested in urban exploration in Georgia, Soviet architecture, and hidden historical gems.

Visiting the Abandoned Sanatoriums Today

Today, Tskaltubo offers a mix of the old and the new. There are 3 SPAs open in the park officially, and 1 renovated SPA hotel. Also, spring number 6, where Stalin and Beria were taking procedures. But we encourage you to take a walk in the corridors, rooftops, and inner gardens of old marble temples. To imagine yourself in ballrooms, cinemas, luxury balconies as the soviet officer who came from WWII or a daughter of a high party member.

But please be respectful and careful. On one hand, buildings are not renovated, some of them decay from water and fire, so safety comes first.

On the other hand, a lot of the buildings are partly populated with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Abkhazia who were moved after armed conflicts in this region. From about 600000 people, around 9000 moved to Tskaltubo. Back in 1993, it seemed like a good solution for these people.

At some point, with the help of the state, a lot of them got a new home, but few of them are still waiting for it, for 30 years. Their mode of life is not rich, but they are friendly and nice people with not simple destiny. On our visit there in 2019, we ran into an old lady, who invited us for a cup of coffee and had a short conversation about the place and life in the sanatorium “Tbilisi”. Currently under renovation, in 2025, Sanatorium Tbilisi is no longer accessible for urban exploration. The facade is covered in scaffolding and construction is ongoing. There are no official fences, but there are aggressive stray dogs on the property. While the building remains architecturally striking, with unique statues still visible from the street entrance is not recommended at this time.

Our days government is closing sanatoriums for renovation and promises to bring them back nice and shine. Some of them are already surrounded by a fence. But few of them are still free to go. In any case, you will need a day or more to discover this place.

Popular abandoned sites include:

Sanatorium Medea – One of the most photogenic spots with dramatic staircases, pillars, and balconies — a favorite for urbex photography in Georgia.

Sanatorium Metalurgi – Known for its impressive round lobby and decaying marble interiors. Popular with both locals and visitors.

To see all the best abandoned sights in Tskaltubo with comfort and safety, we advise you to take a local guide, who will also deliver you from the hotel and back.

How to get to Tskaltubo?

Tskaltubo is only 10 km away from Kutaisi (the second biggest city in Georgia). The shortest way is to take marshrutka 44 or 34 from Kutaisi auto station in the center, the ride will take about 20 minutes. They are running from 7 am to 7 pm.

Tskaltubo is located fairly close to the Kutaisi airport too, 22 km away, so if you fly there, you can come here directly from the airport.

Where to stay in Tskaltubo?

We enjoyed staying at Guest House Lake Side, it was a cozy, warm, heated place, which is very important in winter. With a separate kitchen and bathroom for tourists. We visited a lot of guest houses in Georgia, and it was one of our best experiences. If you decide to stay, we advise you to call the owner Platon at +995 595 959 733.

What to see near Tskaltubo?

Prometheus Cave

After discovering the ghost part of the city, the next day you can enjoy a medical bath with a massage, which would be a perfect contrast. Or enjoy 2 more exciting attractions around Tskaltubo that you can easily manage yourself or with a local guide if you took urbex tour.

You can visit Prometheus Cave which is 40 m under sea level and is 2km long. You can manage it by foot or on guided tours by boat. Colors of cave and rock are impressive to see, and it is only 6.5 km far away from downtown, you can easily get there by taxi. 

Sataplia Nature Reserve

You will love this place if you are into dinosaurs who are older than Stalin and nature trails. Because here were found footprints of 120 million-years-old dinosaur! There’s a cave and beautiful nature views. Also they have Jurassic park with an explanation of what kind of dinosaurs were the kings of this land before us and cave with great light effects. It is a perfect place to visit on the way back to Kutaisi, it is almost on the road, and offers nice spots for picnics as well.

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