Rike Park

Rike Park is a modern public park on the left bank of the Mtkvari River in Tbilisi, Georgia, laid out in the 2010s between the Bridge of Peace and the lower station of the Narikala cable car. It occupies a stretch of former riverside land opposite the old town and has become one of the most photographed spaces in the capital because of the contrasts it frames: the glass-and-steel Bridge of Peace, the tubular Rike Concert Hall and Exhibition Hall designed by Massimiliano Fuksas, the Presidential Palace dome across the river and the Narikala ridge beyond. Visitors can walk the paved promenade along the river, rest on lawns and benches, watch fountains, use the children's play areas and look at sculptures and installations that change over time. A large musical fountain performs in the evening, and there are cafes and small kiosks along the paths. The park is free, open 24 hours and takes around 45 minutes to cross at a relaxed pace, longer if combined with the cable car ride or a walk over the Bridge of Peace. It is about 5 minutes on foot from Freedom Square, with Freedom Square the nearest metro station. Evening is the best time, when the bridge lights glow over the water and the old town lights up on the opposite bank. Weekends and summer evenings are the busiest, with families, couples and street performers; mornings are quiet and the light is good for photographs. Paths are wide, paved and mostly flat. The park also serves as a starting point for the Narikala cable car, and many visitors use it as a staging ground before heading up to the fortress. It is a useful place to rest between visits to nearby Abanotubani and Sioni Street, with plenty of shade near the lower end.