Zugdidi: Dadiani Palace, gateway to Svaneti

Zugdidi is the capital of the western region of Samegrelo (Mingrelia) and Georgia’s sixth-largest city, about 318 km west of Tbilisi and 30 km from the Black Sea. In the city itself there’s one main sight, but a striking one - the Dadiani Palace. And for most travellers Zugdidi is first and foremost the “gateway to Svaneti”: the road into mountain Mestia begins here.

The Dadiani Palace

The 19th-century Dadiani Palace complex was the residence of the Dadiani princes who ruled Mingrelia. Today it houses a museum of history and architecture; the palace was restored in 2015-2018. Among the museum’s exhibits is one of Napoleon’s death masks: it came to the Dadianis through their kinship with the Murat family (Napoleon’s descendant Achille Murat married Salomé Dadiani).

The main façade of the Dadiani Palace in Zugdidi — The main façade of the Dadiani Palace with its driveway - the residence of the Mingrelian princes. Photo: Gaga.vaa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The palace is surrounded by a botanical garden laid out back in the 19th century by Prince David Dadiani and Princess Ekaterine; today it’s a branch of the Tbilisi Botanical Garden, around 26 hectares in size. A stroll through the palace park is the most pleasant part of a visit to Zugdidi.

A pond in the Zugdidi botanical garden — A quiet pond with paths in the botanical garden around the Dadiani Palace. Photo: Giorgi Abdaladze / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

A pond with water lilies in the Zugdidi botanical garden — A pond with water lilies in the old botanical garden - one of the most atmospheric spots in the city. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

The gateway to Svaneti

The main reason travellers find themselves in Zugdidi is to change here for Svaneti. Marshrutkas run from here into mountain Mestia, and Zugdidi itself is the western terminus of the railway (the night train from Tbilisi is handy).

The illuminated Svan towers of Mestia against the night sky — The Svan towers of Mestia lit up at night - reached via Zugdidi. Photo: D.Rovchak / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Further into the mountains lies Ushguli - one of the highest continuously inhabited villages in Europe, also with its medieval towers and a view of Shkhara.

The Svan towers of the village of Ushguli against the mountains — Ushguli - a high-mountain village with Svan towers deep in Svaneti, beyond Mestia. Photo: Florian Pinel / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

What to keep in mind

Zugdidi is a calm city, and in itself it doesn’t take much time: the palace with its park can be seen in half a day. Most people come here on the way to Svaneti or from the sea, so plan Zugdidi as a convenient stop rather than a destination in its own right.

A shady avenue in the park in Zugdidi — A shady avenue in the palace park - a quiet place for a walk in the centre of Zugdidi. Photo: Giorgi Abdaladze / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nearby and beyond

From Zugdidi the road leads to mountain Mestia and Svaneti, and to the south - to Kutaisi and the rest of western Georgia. The Black Sea is within easy reach from here. For independent trips the car hire section comes in handy, the country’s other cities are in the cities section, and the full list of places is in the things to see section.

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