Bridge of Peace (Mshvidobis Khidi)

The Bridge of Peace is a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Mtkvari River in central Tbilisi, linking the Old Town near Gamsakhurdia Embankment with Rike Park on the opposite bank. Designed by the Italian architect Michele De Lucchi and opened in 2010, the curved structure of steel and glass stretches roughly 150 metres and is covered by a wave-shaped canopy of glass panels. The design drew mixed reactions in Georgia when it was built, as its modern forms contrast sharply with the Old Town's brick and timber balconies, but it has since become one of the capital's recognisable symbols and a convenient route between the two banks. After dark, thousands of LED lights embedded in the canopy flash in patterns said to relay a message in Morse code, a feature that draws photographers and strollers in the evening. Visitors can walk the bridge in about five minutes, though most linger to take photographs. The best vantage points are from the middle of the deck, which looks across to Metekhi Church and the statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, and upriver toward the Narikala Fortress ridge. Another angle is from the Rike Park end, where the canopy frames the cathedral on the Avlabari hillside. Across the river, the Tbilisi cable car departs from Rike Park to Narikala, and the Holy Trinity Cathedral lies about 15 minutes on foot beyond the park. The bridge is free and open around the clock. Crowds are heaviest on warm evenings and weekends, when buskers and street vendors gather at either end, while early morning is quiet and well suited to photography. In summer the glass roof can trap heat in the afternoon, so evening visits are the more comfortable choice. A typical stop lasts about 20 minutes and combines naturally with a walk through Rike Park, the Old Town and the sulfur bath district nearby.