Europe Square
Batumi's showpiece square — the Medea column with the Golden Fleece, restored Belle Époque facades and an astronomical clock.
- Time needed
- 1 h
- From Tbilisi
- 375 km · 5:30
- Road
- Paved
- Car needed
- Economy class
- Season
- All year
- Entry
- free
Europe Square is Batumi's calling card — the spot where the city's oil-boom-era architecture looks its most polished. The square is framed by restored 19th- and early 20th-century facades with a scattering of 21st-century additions, and at its centre a tall column carries the figure of Medea.
Davit Khmaladze's bronze Medea was unveiled on 6 July 2007. She holds the Golden Fleece — a direct nod to the Argonaut myth, which places the land of Colchis in today's western Georgia. For Batumi this is more than decoration: the city is claiming its seat in the ancient trading world.
What to look for:
- The Medea column, at its most dramatic under evening lighting
- The astronomical clock on the former bank building (made in Germany in 2010), showing moon phases and sunrise and sunset times alongside the hour
- The fountain, where local kids cool off in the summer heat
The square doubles as the city's main stage: international concerts, the Batumoba city festival, Christmas markets and New Year celebrations all happen here. The Piazza is a five-minute walk away, so the two slot naturally into one stroll through the old quarter.
Practical advice
The square is always open and free. Give the clock a proper look — beyond the time it displays astronomical data, which most visitors walk straight past. Best photo windows are early morning (empty square) and evening (lighting). Expect crowds during July-August concerts. Cafes around the square are mid-priced; toilets are in nearby malls. There is no parking on the square itself — use paid street parking around it.
How to get there from Tbilisi
From Tbilisi take the E60/S1 highway: Rikoti tunnels, the Kutaisi bypass, Samtredia, then the coast road through Kobuleti into Batumi — roughly 375 km and 5:30 of driving on asphalt the whole way, with fuel available throughout. Europe Square sits in the city centre by Memed Abashidze Avenue; type "Europe Square Batumi" into the navigator. Park on the surrounding streets (paid) and explore the centre on foot — the Piazza, the Boulevard and the Old Town are all adjacent. An economy car is enough.
Click a marker for details. Coloured lines are ready-made road trips.
Nearby places
Batumi Piazza
An Italian-style square in Old Batumi — a giant marble mosaic, stained glass, cafes and free summer-evening concerts.
Batumi Boulevard and Old Town
A seven-kilometre seafront promenade, a nineteenth-century old quarter and modern towers in one compact city.
Batumi Dancing Fountains
The singing fountains of Ardagani Lake on the New Boulevard — a free water, laser and music show on summer evenings.
Best car for this trip
Guides
- Driving in Georgia: What the Distances Actually Cost You Georgia is a small country with slow roads. Here is what 267 measured drives from Tbilisi say about how long y
Pickup locations
Car Rental in Batumi — 1 km (straight line)