Europe Square, Batumi

Is Europe Square worth visiting?

Yes — as a stop on a walk, not as a destination. Europe Square is the hub of Old Batumi, so you will cross it anyway. Give it 20–30 minutes: look up at Medea, catch the astronomical clock on the corner, then carry on to the Piazza and the sea. There are no tickets, no gates and no closing time.

The square sits on Memed Abashidze Avenue, two blocks back from the seafront. The 19th- and 20th-century buildings around it mix restored originals with newer façades in an old style, so the ensemble is pretty but a little stage-set. Our take at YesGo: there is no single great monument here, but it is the city's living room — concerts, festivals, the main Christmas tree and street musicians on summer nights.

Why Medea? In Greek myth she was the daughter of the king of Colchis who helped Jason and the Argonauts take the Golden Fleece — and ancient Colchis lay in what is now western Georgia. The statue stands for the region's ties with Europe going back to antiquity, which is also the idea behind the square's name.

What to see on Europe Square

• Medea with the Golden Fleece — the gilded fleece reads best from the edge of the square, not from the foot of the column.
• The pedestal reliefs — scenes from the Argonaut myth and the ship Argo; easy to miss unless you walk up close.
• The astronomical clock on the former National Bank — it shows the Sun and Moon, the moon phase, the zodiac sign, sunrise and sunset, with a three-language key at its base.
• The façades — neoclassical, Art Nouveau, stained glass and turrets; best studied from a café terrace.
• The ground-level fountain in the middle — kids run through it on hot days.
• In winter, the city's main Christmas tree and holiday market.

The astronomical clock

The big dial on the corner is Batumi's astronomical clock, mounted on the façade of the former National Bank of Georgia building at the corner of the square and Konstantine Gamsakhurdia Street. It was made in Germany for the city and installed in 2010–2011 — sources differ on the exact year.

Besides the time, it tracks around fourteen values: the positions of the Sun, Moon and planets, the moon phase and age, the current zodiac sign, the horizon and meridian, and sunrise and sunset times. A plaque at the base explains the dial. It is lit at night, so it works as an after-dark stop too.

A short history of the square

There was an open square here long before, but the current name dates from 2007, when Batumi joined the Assembly of European Regions. The same year, on 6 July, President Mikheil Saakashvili unveiled the Medea monument by Georgian architect and sculptor Davit Khmaladze.

The bronze figure stands on a slender white-marble-clad pedestal carved with scenes from the Argonaut story; Medea holds the fleece out at arm's length and faces the sea. In the 2010s the square became the city's main open-air stage — Andrea Bocelli and José Carreras have both performed here, and big concerts draw up to 50,000 people.

Europe Square at night

Evening is the square's best time. Coloured floodlights pick out Medea and the surrounding façades, the fountain jets are lit in summer and the café terraces fill up. For photos, aim for the blue hour just after sunset, when the lights are on but the sky still has colour; you'll want a zoom for the fleece, which sits high above the crowd.

From here it's an easy evening loop: the Piazza for a drink, the boulevard at sunset, the Ali and Nino statue and the Dancing Fountains show. Everything is walkable and free.

Europe Square vs Piazza vs the boulevard

You don't have to choose: all three are next to each other and fit into one evening. Start at Europe Square, stop at the Piazza and finish by the sea.

Batumi after dark compared

Batumi places worth an evening, rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Nearby — add to your day

42

Batumi Boulevard

Batumi, Georgia

1 h 30 min · Free · 6 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Batumi Boulevard

44

Piazza Square

Batumi, Georgia

30 min · Free, open 24/7 · 8 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Piazza Square

49

Ali and Nino statue

Batumi, Georgia

30 min · Free · 13 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Ali and Nino statue

38

Argo Cable Car

Batumi, Georgia

1 h · 39 GEL return · 15 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Argo Cable Car

How to do it right

• Use the square as the start of your Old Batumi walk: the Piazza and the sea are five minutes each way.
• The blue hour after sunset is the moment — lights on, sky still blue.
• Grab a terrace table on the edge of the square to take in the façades without the traffic.
• Over Christmas and New Year the main tree and market go up here and the square stays busy late.
• Carry a contactless card for city buses and a little cash for marshrutkas.
• Walk on to the Dancing Fountains afterwards — the show runs in the evening, along the boulevard.

Questions