Tsqaltubo

Tsqaltubo

Tsqaltubo is a spa town in western central Georgia. It is the principal town of Imereti Province's Tsqaltubo Municipality. It is famous for its radon-carbonate mineral springs, which have a natural temperature of 33-35°C and can be used without heating. The main focus of the resort is on balneotherapy for cardiovascular, neurological, musculo-skeletal, gynecological and skin diseases. Since the 1970s, speleotherapy has been added to the repertoire, which uses the cool, dust-free environment of local caves to treat lung diseases. During the Soviet era, some 125,000 people visited the town each year, making it particularly popular. In Bathhouse No. 9 there is a frieze of Stalin, and visitors can see the private swimming pool where he used to bathe during his visits. At present, the spa only receives about 700 visitors a year, but there are a number of renovation projects underway to promote the revitalization of this historic spa town. Karst caves abound in Tsqaltubo. Like Satsurblia, Prometheus and Sataplia, which offer visitors spectacular samples of stalactites, stalagmites, curtains, petrified waterfalls, cave pearls, subsurface rivers and lakes. The temperature in the cave is always between 13 and 15 degrees. The cave of Satsurblia has a unique climatic environment that gives it the possibility to be transformed into a recreational tourist destination for people suffering from respiratory diseases. The Prometheus Cave is one of the longest caves in Georgia, and the Sataplia Nature Reserve is famous for its dinosaur footprints.