Thermal Sulfur Baths Tbilisi Georgia

One of the things most missed when traveling is a good soak in my bathtub. As I’ve often said, regular soaks are beneficial for body and soul, but most short-term apartment rentals have showers, not tubs. As an alternative, yesterday, I experienced Tbilisi’s thermal sulfur baths. The thermal baths are a “cherished part of Georgian culture,” and it’s easy to understand why!

I booked a private bath with a kisa scrub. The inexpensive bath and treatment lasted for one hour. The huge room was comfortable, with a sauna and two pools – a large, thermal sulfur pool (100° – 113° F) and a smaller ice-cold-water pool. There was a small separate room for showering. After your body adjusts to moving from the sauna into super-hot and then ice-cold water, it’s unbelievably exhilarating!

Sulfur Bath Process

After 15 minutes of moving back and forth between the sauna and hot and cold pools, a “scrubber” – for lack of a better word – knocks on the door and comes into the room to give your body a “kisa” glove scrubbing. Similar to hammams, the process involves an initial exfoliation, followed by a soapy scrubbing, and then a refreshing rinse.

The scrubbing thoroughly exfoliates dead skin cells from your body. Afterwards, you repeat moving back and forth from the sauna and hot and cold water pools until your 60 minutes ends. The process is super invigorating and leaves your skin exfoliated, squeaky clean, and soft. I loved it and booked a repeat bath!

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“The name, Tbilisi, is derived from the Georgian word tbili, meaning warm. Over centuries, the sulfur baths became an integral part of Tbilisi’s urban landscape, with bathhouses built around hot springs in the Abanotubani District.”

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The process is similar to a Turkish hammam, and other bath rituals I’ve experienced in foreign countries. For me, they’re always a special treat!

History

Tbilisi’s sulfur baths “date back to the 5th century, when King Vakhtang Gorgasali, founder of Tbilisi, discovered the natural hot springs while hunting”. Famous historical figures who’ve visited the baths include French writer Alexandre Dumas, Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, and playwright Anton Chekhov. Sulfur baths were an important part of Georgian society. They were a “gathering place for socializing, business, and matchmaking”.

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“I have never encountered anything more luxurious than these Tbilisi baths, neither in Russia nor in Turkey.”  Russian Poet Alexander Pushkin 1829

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Based on a recommendation by a local blogger, Wander-Lush, I booked my bath at Gulo’s Thermal Spa. The exotic-looking bathhouses are a “blend of Persian, Georgian, and Byzantine architecture”. Buildings in the district are “characterized by distinctive brick domes, which help trap the steam from the hot sulfur waters beneath”. Interiors are “adorned with intricate tilework, domes, and vaulted ceilings”.

Sulfur Water Healing Properties

Like Turkish baths, thermal sulfur spa treatments promote relaxation and have therapeutic benefits. Some tourists visit them for the “experience” but for me, the therapeutic benefits are equally important. Traveling involves lots of walking and sometimes vast climate changes, so your muscles and joints appreciate a warm soak followed by a dousing with ice-cold water. Each country is different, and your skin can become dry from exposure to mineral elements in local water supplies.

The sulfur water that flows from Tbilisi hot springs contains a “variety of minerals, including sulfur, calcium, magnesium, and sodium”. This composition gives the water its therapeutic qualities and makes it a “natural remedy for various ailments”.

Health Benefits And Therapeutic Uses

The healing properties of sulfur water are believed to provide relief for a wide range of conditions. The water is thought to “help alleviate skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne, as well as soothe aching muscles and joints. It’s also said to improve blood circulation, boost the immune system, and promote overall relaxation and wellbeing”.

It was a gorgeous day. On my way to the baths, I took the attached photos of landscapes around the Abanotubani District – building names aren’t always captioned, After my bath :o), I “floated” into a café and drank a liter of homemade lemonade embellished with local berries. It was time in Tbilisi well spent.