NATIONAL MUSEUM OF GEORGIA

This museum is home to a real treasure: the gold of Colchis. Do you remember the legend of the Golden Fleece and the Argonauts? In ancient times, Colchis was described as a land of milk and honey, where gold made the streams sparkle. In fact, this was a gold panning technique: the water was filtered using sheep skins. This section alone makes for a fantastic visit to the museum. Start your visit in the basement and you'll be amazed. The museum boasts one of the country's finest archaeological and historical treasures. Its masterpiece? The "Gold of Colchis" exhibition. According to archaeologists, the Second Kingdom of Colchis (^6th-1st century BC) was the first kingdom of Georgia. The objects were unearthed at the Vani archaeological site in Imeretia. The pieces on display, remarkable for their refinement, date from a period stretching from the ^3rd millennium BC to the beginning of our era. On display are goldsmiths' and silversmiths' wares, admirably crafted jewels and everyday objects.

The upper floors feature mosaics and bones from the 1.8 million-year-old Dmanissi man, one of the first humans found outside Africa.

The museum also boasts important collections on fauna, flora and the various ethnic groups of the Caucasus. On the top floor, the Museum of Soviet Occupation evokes the dark Russian period in the country's history.