Everyone soon finds themselves strolling along Batumis bulvari, the park strip fronting the main beach, originally laid out in 1884 and now stretching 6km along the coast. With its trees, paths, fountains, cafes, beach bars and a few quirky attractions, this is the life and soul of Batumi. The beach itself is fine though stony – extremely busy in July and August, but kept clean.
Near the northeast tip of the bulvari you’ll find a large Ferris Wheel , the 145m-high Alphabet Tower (a monument to Georgian script and culture), and a 7m-high, ethereally moving metal sculpture by Tamar Kvesitadze that is universally known as Ali & Nino after the lover-protagonists of Kurban Said’s marvellous novel of that name (see it after dark).
A bit further south rises Georgia's tallest building, the 200m-high Batumi Tower , looking a bit like a mini Empire State Building – with a mini Ferris Wheel implanted in its side! Constructed under the Saakashvili government to be a technological university, it was sold off by his successors to be a Le Meridien hotel.
Southward, on what’s known as the New Boulevard, an ornamental lake hosts the Dancing Fountains , an entertaining laser, music and water show.
