Fastest way from Tbilisi centre to recreational Turtle Lake
Cable car undergoes final testing

In a few days’ time a new cable car will open in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi making it easier for locals and guest to access one of the city’s greenspaces - Turtle Lake.

Two alternating cable cars will take guests up to Turtle Lake, located on the top of a hill that overlooks Vake district. The ride to the top will take six minutes.

Tbilisi City Hall has been testing the new cable car for several days to ensure safety before it opens to the public.

The new cable car will open in few days which will connect Chavchavadze Ave to Turkle Lake. Now we are testing it to ensure maximum safety," said Deputy Mayor Irakli Lekvinadze.

From the testing it was found several trees and plants impinged on the cable car route, so it was decided the Tbilisi Transport Company and the Greenery Department of Tbilisi City Hall would prune the offending trees.

Tbilisi City Hall announced only the branches will hampered the cable car movement would be removed.

Two alternating cable cars will take guests up to Turtle Lake, located on the top of a hill that overlooks Vake district. Photo by the Tbilisi City Hall.

The pruning works had already started and once finished the new cable car will officially open to the public. This is expected to happen in the next few days.

People can access the new cable car from the entry station on Chavchavadze Ave, at the Vake Park end.

From the top cable car station people can walk a short distance to the Tbilisi Open Air Museum of Ethnography, which displays examples of historic folk architecture and craftwork from various regions of Georgia. Currently there is no public transport to the Museum or Turtle Lake recreation zone, meaning people must drive or take a taxi to visit the two sites.

Tbilisi City Hall allocated just over one million GEL (about $476,226/€423,425*) to local firm Bagirmsheni to restore the old cableway that once existed up to Turtle Lake. The old cableway needed to be completely renewed.

Part of the works involved "completely rehabilitating” two old gondolas, said Tbilisi City Hall. The restored gondolas were now able to carry about 20 people, including people in wheelchairs and others with disabilities.

Officials believed the new funicular railway would be able to transport about 2,000 people per day.

*Currencies are equivalent with the latest National Bank of Georgia exchange rate.