Sulfur baths in Tbilisi

If you want to understand Tbilisi, you need not only to see it, but also to feel it on your skin. The sulfur baths of Abanotubani are a historic quarter with low red brick domes, from where hot sulfur springs gush. Time flows differently here. Descending into the semi-darkness of a private bath, you enter a world familiar to kings and poets. Water smelling of hydrogen sulfide burns and relaxes muscles, and massaging jets (kizi) knock out all urban fatigue. The main feature is not just hygiene, but a ritual. You can rent a whole room with a swimming pool. After the steam room, be sure to order a thermos of thyme tea and candied nuts. You come out of there refreshed, "like new," despite the peeling paint on the old walls.