GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Bazaleti Lake

Where legend meets cool mountain waters

Bazaleti Lake

Why go

Bazaleti Lake sits 900 meters above sea level in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus, a reservoir fed by natural springs and expanded for irrigation in the Soviet era. Local legend tells of a golden-lipped child sleeping in a golden cradle at the lake's bottom, and of a bull drowned in the lake that was later found alive in a well in a nearby village—taken as proof of the lake's hidden underground currents. The lake served as a strategic point during the 18th-century Persian invasions and later as a Soviet-era resort. Today it draws Tbilisi escapees for its mineral-rich waters, dramatic mountain backdrop, and the peculiar sight of its small floating chapel, built in 2012 to bless the waters.

On the ground See

  • Swim from the sandy beach at the Bazaleti Lake Recreation Complex, where mineral springs feed water noticeably cooler than Tbilisi's summer heat
  • Photograph the white domed chapel floating on a platform 100 meters offshore, accessible by small boat in calm conditions
  • Walk the 5-kilometer forested lakeshore trail, passing the 19th-century stone reservoir dam and views toward the snow-capped Mtiuleti Range

Practical Know before you go

Best June through September; public marshrutka from Tbilisi's Didube station to Dusheti (1 hour), then taxi 6km to the lake; private car via the Georgian Military Highway takes 50 minutes.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly