Goderdzi Alpine Botanical Garden

The Goderdzi Alpine Botanical Garden is the mountain branch of the Batumi Botanical Garden, near the Goderdzi Pass at 1,859-1,960 m and 112 km from Batumi. Its 9.6 hectares hold 170 species of wild plants of the Caucasus mountains. According to Visit Ajara, the garden is open daily from 09:00 to 20:00, and the best time to go is 15 May to 15 October. Entry was free when the garden opened; check on the spot.

What to see in the garden

Work on the garden began in 2016, with the aim of gathering high-mountain plants of the Caucasus and restoring the subalpine forest belt. Trails lead through several zones:

• beech forest and an alpine rock garden;
• a natural lake and a bog with its own plants;
• a spring, a picnic area and a spot with fire pits.

Unlike the seaside Batumi Botanical Garden, this is mountain forest and meadow, with plants growing in their natural setting. It works best as a stop on a mountain day trip rather than a destination on its own.

How to get there from Batumi

The road crosses the whole of Mountainous Adjara: along the Adjaristskali gorge, through Khulo and up the hairpins to the Goderdzi Pass. The drive to the pass takes about 3 hours each way. Minibuses from Batumi go as far as Khulo; beyond that, a car is the practical way up to the pass.

The simplest option is a tour: in one day you see the garden, Khulo and the Green Lake.

To travel at your own pace, you can book a car with a driver for Batumi - Goderdzi - Batumi; cash payment is possible.

Tips

• At almost 2,000 m it is much cooler than by the sea, so bring a fleece and a rain jacket even in July.
• Wear closed shoes for the trails: in places they are rocky and damp.
• The Green Lake lies 7 km from the pass and is open from June to the end of September. It is reached by 4x4 or on foot, so the garden and the lake are usually combined in one day.
• In winter the pass becomes a ski resort and the garden is under snow, so go in the warm season.

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