GROTTE DE PROMÉTHÉE

The Prométhée cave attracts crowds of tourists eager to explore one of Europe's largest caves. Discovered fairly recently (in the 1980s), the Prométhée cave is impressive for the length of the tour (1.5 km and 6 out of 22 rooms visited). Explanations are succinct, but the visit remains very interesting. The opening of the cave to the public was punctuated by a number of ups and downs, due to the political context. The first public works were launched in the 1980s after the discovery of the cave, but the collapse of the USSR in 1990 and the absence of the necessary funds brought the project to a halt. In 2010, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili decided to relaunch the project, and in less than a year work was completed and the cave opened to the public in 2011. During this 20-year interval, Giorgi Zhora Tkabladze, a resident of the village of Kumistavi, took care of the cave to prevent it from becoming too damaged. A statue of him has been erected at the exit of the cave to pay tribute to his work.

Access by public transport: from Koutaïssi, take minibus no. 30 near the tourist office on the other side of the bridge. Asking the tourist office for directions is just as easy. Minibus no. 30 will take you as far as Tskaltoubo, and you can then take minibus no. 42 to the cave. It will be waiting for you during your visit.