Tbilisi markets: the Dry Bridge & Dezerter Bazaar

Markets are a great way to feel the living, everyday side of Tbilisi, and the city has two very different ones, both well worth a tourist’s time: the flea market at the Dry Bridge and the Dezerter Bazaar food market.

The Dry Bridge: the flea market

Beside the Dry Bridge (Mshrali Khidi) over the Kura, an open-air flea market spreads out along the riverbank. Here people sell antiques and vintage: Soviet pins, coins and banknotes, old cameras and watches, crockery, jewellery, paintings and all sorts of odds and ends. It’s a place both to shop and simply to browse — people come for the atmosphere and unusual souvenirs. It mostly runs by day and is busiest at weekends; haggling here is normal and even expected.

One corner of the market is given over to painting: along the railings, local artists display their work — landscapes, views of Tbilisi, abstracts. You can pick up an original cheaply, straight from the artist.

The Dezerter Bazaar: food

If the Dry Bridge is about the past, the Dezerter Bazaar is about food. It’s a large food market near the railway station, selling spices, cheeses, churchkhela, tklapi (fruit leather), nuts, fruit and vegetables. It’s worth a visit for edible souvenirs and simply to see how the locals do their shopping.

Both markets are in central Tbilisi and slot easily into a walk. For more on the city, see our guide to Tbilisi; for where to try the local cuisine, the where to eat guide; and for more ideas, the things to do section.