Sairme is one of the largest balneological resorts in Georgia. It is located near the city of Baghdati in a picturesque mountainous area and is famous for its ancient forests, mild climate, clean air and healing waters, but their beneficial properties have become known relatively recently.
Previously, these lands belonged to the Georgian princely family of Eristavi, who had no idea what wealth was stored here. In the Soviet years, the territories were nationalized, the mineral waters were explored and recognized as curative. However, Sairme was a hard-to-reach place, tourists went to the resort reluctantly, therefore, when in the late 40s. With the help of captured Germans, a road was built here to Baghdati, things went smoothly. Boarding houses and sports grounds appeared, and in 1954 a factory that bottled medicinal mineral water for the entire USSR.
The word “sairme” itself is translated as “a place where deer live”, since at one time deer and wild goats descended the mountains to drink healing water from mineral springs.
Today, Sairme is considered one of the best thermal resorts in the country; sanatoriums, spa centers, massage rooms and a restaurant are open here.
Half an hour drive from Sairme is the town of Baghdati, known as the birthplace of Vladimir Mayakovsky. There is a house-museum of the poet, where his personal belongings are preserved.
How to get to Sairme
According to Wholevehicles, the nearest airport to the resort is in Kutaisi. From the central bus station of the city, minibuses leave twice a day at 10:50 and at 17:50. Travel time is about an hour, the fare is 8 GEL per passenger. A minibus also runs from Baghdati to Sairme, the fare is 2 GEL. Prices on the page are for July 2021.
Sairme Hotels
There are 3 hotels at the service of visitors – “Sairme”, “Imereti” and “Udabno”. The largest and most popular local hotel is the three-star Sairme. This is a hotel with 150 rooms, during the peak season it can accommodate up to 390 people at a time. The hotel has a spa clinic, equipped with modern technology and a laboratory, in the summer there is an open-air swimming pool. Room prices start from 50 USD per night for a double room, in high season – from 80 USD. The price includes three meals a day and a doctor’s consultation.
There are also more budget options – from 30 USD per day for a double room. There will be no free clinic, but breakfasts and mineral water in pump rooms are a must.
Cafes and restaurants in Sairme
Most hotels and sanatoriums in Sairme include food in the price, so there is very little catering outside the hotels. There is one Georgian restaurant with a terrace, as well as a bakery, which is very popular among vacationers: they sell delicious fresh lavash, khachapuri and other pastries.
Treatment in Sairme
The springs originate from several deposits, so in each of them the water has a different chemical composition and, therefore, has a different effect on the body. In the last century, after an accurate analysis of the waters, all the springs were numbered and pump rooms were placed above them.
Mineral waters in Sairme contain calcium, magnesium, iron and sodium. They are recommended for people with metabolic disorders, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder and kidneys. Water also has a positive effect on human immunity and mental activity.
Near the town of Udabno there is a modern spa center with thermal baths, built over a hot spring. The water in it has a temperature of +43 ° C and rises to the surface of the earth from a depth of 1.5 km. Its active substances help in the treatment of the digestive system, nervous, genitourinary, muscular and osteoarticular systems. The center is equipped with the latest German equipment, here you can visit a massage room, a fitness room, swim in the pool and go to the mini-bar. Each patient is offered an individual course of treatment. The polyclinic is open around the clock, where therapists, urologists, cardiologists and dentists receive.
Attractions and entertainment in Sairme
There are no sights at the resort itself, and from entertainment – only water treatment and enjoyment of nature.
25 km and about half an hour drive from Sairme is the town of Baghdati, known as the birthplace of Vladimir Mayakovsky. There is a house-museum of the poet, which has survived to this day intact thanks to the Kuchukhidze family. Konstantin Kuchukhidze once rented a house to the Mayakovsky family, and now the third generation of this Georgian family is taking care of this historical monument. Thanks to them, not only the house itself was preserved, but also pieces of furniture, books, photographs that belonged to the Mayakovsky family and personally to the great poet.
Not far from the Mayakovsky Museum, you can see the ruins of the Tkhmeli fortress. It was built by the Turks in 1703, but today almost nothing remains of it.
