The Bridge of Peace connects both banks of the Mt’k’vari River, leading the Old City to the newly established Rike Park. Also newly constructed is a cable car in Rike Park that takes visitors to the top of the mountain to view the fortress Narikala, the statue of the Mother of Georgia and to panoramic views of the capital of Georgia.
The
cable car was opened on June 23, 2012, and the landscape surrounding it is
still developing. From the terminus at Rike Park, visitors can buy a plastic
ticket/card for 1 lari for a one-way trip to the top, or 2 lari for a
return-trip. During my visit, I took a return trip, with no waiting, and a
quick 2-minute ride to the ridge. The cable cars can sit eight people at a
time, but they are more comfortable with only six people.
The
cable car at Rike Park is not to be confused with the newly built funicular
from Chavchavadze Avenue to Mt Mtatsminda and the fun park (with wheel, rides,
restaurants, water attractions, and cafes). The Rike Park cable car travels
over the Old City and takes visitors to the top of the hill with the city’s
historic landmark of the Narikala fortress that functioned from the 4th
to the 17th century and the Botanical Garden. Also at the top is the
shining silver-coloured imposing Mother of Georgia (Kartlis Deda).
The
accompanying photos are the Rike Park cable car, and its views.
MARTINA
NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and
the author of:- The Shortness of
Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet
(2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
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