# Likani Romanov Palace, Borjomi > The Romanov Palace in Likani is Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich's 1890s summer villa, 3 km west of central Borjomi. You can't currently enter the building or grounds: it's under restoration, with no tickets or hours. You can only see it from outside, for free, in 20–30 minutes. Getting there takes 10 minutes by taxi or about 40 on foot. Web page: https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/likani-palace - City: [Borjomi](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi), Georgia - YesGo score: 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 30 min - Entry: Free, outside view only - Opening hours: Closed to visitors (restoration); the façade is visible from outside at any time — best in daylight - With kids: Fine with kids - Inside: Closed — under restoration, no reopening date announced - Grounds: Closed: Borjomi Likani resort security usually turns tourists away - Outside view: Free, from the road and the fence - Time needed: 20–30 minutes on site - From the centre: ≈ 3 km: taxi ≈ 10 min, walk ≈ 40 min - Taxi fare: About 5–7 GEL one way — unofficial - Address: Meskheti St, Likani, Borjomi - On the way: Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park visitor centre, 23 Meskheti St - Coordinates: 41.82799, 43.36432 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **Closed** — no entry to the building or grounds — restoration under way, a museum is planned (source: Borjomi Likani Resort website; Eurasia.travel; OpenStreetMap) - **1892–1895** — built as a summer villa (English Wikipedia gives completion as 1895–1898) (source: Russian Wikipedia; Advantour; Eurasia.travel) - **Leon Benois** — the architect (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Hidden Europe) - **Nicholas Mikhailovich** — the grand duke and grandson of Nicholas I who commissioned it (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Eurasia.travel) - **Moorish style** — façades — an oriental-looking villa above the Kura (source: Russian Wikipedia; Eurasia.travel; Advantour) - **1871** — Borjomi estate granted to Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich, the builder's father (source: English Wikipedia (Borjomi)) - **Hydropower** — one of the first hydroelectric plants in the Russian Empire was built to light the palace (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Stalin** — stayed here in Soviet times, when it became a state retreat (source: English Wikipedia; Hidden Europe; Eurasia.travel) - **Prokudin-Gorsky** — photographed the palace in colour in the early 20th century (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **National Museum** — of Georgia keeps some of the palace furniture (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) > **You can't go inside right now** The palace sits on the closed grounds of the Borjomi Likani resort and the building is under restoration. There are no tickets and no interior tours on sale. If interiors are the point, skip it: you'll see the façade from the road and the fence, nothing more. Staying in Borjomi a while? Ask at the resort reception whether it has reopened. ## Can you visit the Romanov Palace in Borjomi? Only from the outside. The Borjomi Likani resort, which owns the grounds, says the palace is **under renovation** and will open later — without a date. OpenStreetMap tags it as a future museum. The park around it is off-limits too: resort security lets in its own guests and decides case by case. Older guides describe tours of Stalin's study and the “butterfly bedroom”, written when the palace was the Georgian president's summer residence. Treat those as out of date. What's left is the view. The tower, the terrace and the brick façade are visible from Meskheti Street and the fence, and photos from outside are fine. No ticket, no booking, no cost. ## How to get to the Romanov Palace 1. Start at the [Borjomi Central Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-central-park) gates by the Ekaterina spring on 9 April Street. 2. Head to Meskheti Street (Meskheti St) and follow it west along the Kura — it's the road towards Akhaltsikhe. 3. On the way you pass the [Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-kharagauli-national-park) visitor centre at 23 Meskheti St — worth a stop for trail maps. 4. Keep going on the same road to Likani: the towered palace stands behind the resort fence. About 3 km, roughly 40 minutes on foot. 5. Rather not walk? Order a Bolt (card payment in the app; cars in Borjomi can be few) or take a local taxi — about 10 minutes. Local minibuses (marshrutkas) to Likani leave from the start of Meskheti St; pay the driver in cash, in lari. 6. Come back the same way. There are no cafés or toilets at the palace, so plan snacks in town. ## Is the Likani Palace worth it? Yes, if you're heading to the national park anyway or you like architecture and the Romanov story in Georgia. The walk along Meskheti Street is pleasant, the palace is Borjomi's most striking building, and the façade photographs well in daylight. No, if you have a single day and want interiors. You won't get in, and you won't get close. Spend the time in the Central Park, at the [sulphur baths](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-sulphur-baths) or in the [local history museum](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-local-museum). ## A short history of the palace The villa was built in **1892–1895** for Grand Duke **Nicholas Mikhailovich**, a grandson of Nicholas I and a serious historian. His family had held Borjomi since 1871, when the estate was granted to his father, Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich. Nicholas picked Likani, the forested western edge of the resort above the Kura, for his summer house. The St Petersburg architect **Leon Benois** gave it Moorish façades, a belvedere tower and wood-panelled rooms. To light it, one of the first hydroelectric plants in the Russian Empire was built nearby. After the revolution the owner was shot and the palace became a state retreat for the party elite. Stalin stayed here; legend says he hammered nails into the panelling for his cap and coat. Some of the furniture is now in the National Museum of Georgia in Tbilisi. ## What you can see from outside - **The Moorish façade** — red brick, cream bands and arched windows. - **The belvedere tower**, visible from the road well before you arrive. - **The white balustraded terrace** and the long stone staircase through clipped hedges. - **The Kura river** below and the pine-covered slopes of the Borjomi gorge around it. - The former sanatorium buildings next door — some already restored and back in use by the resort. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] I know it's outside-only — no entry to the building or grounds - [ ] Comfortable shoes for 3 km each way - [ ] Bolt installed, or some cash in lari for a marshrutka - [ ] Water with me — nothing to buy at the palace - [ ] Going in daylight for the best view of the façade - [ ] Combining it with the national park visitor centre ## Romanov Palace vs Central Park vs the local museum | | Romanov Palace | Central Park | Local history museum | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | A grand duke's 1890s villa | Spa park with mineral springs | Museum of the resort's history | | Can you go in? | No, outside only | Yes | Yes | | Where | Likani, 3 km from the centre | Town centre | Town centre | | Time needed | 20–30 min + the trip | 1.5–2 h | ≈ 1 h | | Best for | Architecture and photos | Everyone | History lovers | Short on time? Choose the park. The palace works best as part of a walk towards the national park. ## Historic sights in Borjomi compared Every historic sight in Borjomi rated by YesGo. - [Villa Firuza (Mirza Riza Khan House)](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/villa-firuza) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free — seen from the street - [Likani Palace (Romanov Palace)](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/likani-palace) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, outside view only - [Borjomi Museum of Local Lore](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-local-museum) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 3–5 GEL - [Borjomi Central Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-central-park) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ 5 GEL (unofficial) - [Green Monastery (Mtsvane)](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/green-monastery) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free; donations welcome - [Timotesubani Monastery](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/timotesubani-monastery) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free; donations welcome - [Kukushka Train (Borjomi–Bakuriani Railway)](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/kukushka-train) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Not running; new fare not announced - [Rabati Castle](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/rabati-castle) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · 20 GEL for foreign visitors ## Romanov Borjomi in half a day The palace on the edge of town, the national park visitor centre on the way back, then the park and the sulphur baths at its far end. 1. [Likani Palace (Romanov Palace)](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/likani-palace) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, outside view only 2. [Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-kharagauli-national-park) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Free entry, registration required 3. [Borjomi Central Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-central-park) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ 5 GEL (unofficial) 4. [Borjomi Sulphur Baths](https://yesgo.io/georgia/borjomi/borjomi-sulphur-baths) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 5–10 GEL plus park entry ## Don't mix it up “Likani” in Borjomi is a district, a resort, a hotel called EcoRest Likani Palace (a different building) and a brand of mineral water. The Romanov Palace is the single historic villa with the tower. Don't confuse it with the Romanov Palace in Tashkent or Livadia Palace in Crimea. ## Tips - The best view of the façade is from Meskheti Street in daylight; don't linger at the fence — it's a guarded property. - Walk out and take a taxi back: you see the gorge and save your legs for the evening. - Pair the palace with the national park visitor centre — it's on the way. - Cards work in most Borjomi shops and cafés, but minibuses are cash only — carry a few lari. - Want to see inside somewhere? Try the local history museum in town instead. ## Questions ### Can you go inside the Romanov Palace in Borjomi? Not at the moment. It is under restoration and stands on the closed grounds of the Borjomi Likani resort. You can only see it from outside. ### How do I get to the Likani Palace from Borjomi? Follow Meskheti Street west from the Central Park area, about 3 km: 40 minutes on foot or 10 by Bolt or taxi. Local marshrutkas to Likani also run. ### Is the Romanov Palace in Borjomi worth visiting? If you're walking towards the national park or love architecture, yes. If you have one day and want interiors, spend it in the park and the museum instead. ### How much does it cost to visit the Romanov Palace? Nothing — there are no tickets because it's closed. Viewing from outside is free. ### Who built the Likani Palace? Architect Leon Benois, for Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich Romanov, in 1892–1895. ### Is it the Georgian president's residence? It served as the president's summer residence after independence. Today it is under restoration on the Borjomi Likani resort grounds, with a museum planned. ### Did Stalin stay at the Romanov Palace? Yes, in Soviet times it was a state retreat and Stalin stayed there. The story of the nails for his cap and coat is a legend. ### Is Likani Palace the same as the EcoRest Likani Palace hotel? No. The hotel is a separate building that borrows the name; the historic Romanov villa is closed to visitors. ### How long do I need at the Romanov Palace? 20–30 minutes on site, plus about an hour for the walk there and back. ## How we checked The palace has no official hours or tickets because it is closed; the restoration status comes from the Borjomi Likani resort itself, and the closed grounds from Eurasia.travel and Red Fedora Diary, so the access rows are marked “verifying”. Build dates differ — Russian Wikipedia gives 1892–1895, English Wikipedia completion in 1895–1898; we use 1892–1895, which Advantour and Eurasia.travel support. Sources also differ on the hydro plant's year (1898 or January 1899), so we leave the year out. We could not confirm the palace is still a presidential residence, so we describe that in the past tense. The taxi fare is unofficial. Coordinates are from OpenStreetMap: the Wikidata point sits at the park gates. ## Sources - English and Russian Wikipedia: Likani Villa, Likani Palace, Borjomi; Wikidata Q16642125 - OpenStreetMap: Romanov Palace, Meskheti St, Likani — building, coordinates, “proposed museum” tag - Borjomi Likani Resort: About page — palace under renovation - Eurasia.travel: The Romanov Palace (Likani Palace) — access, security, getting there - Advantour: Romanov Palace near Borjomi - Hidden Europe: A Georgian Vichy - Red Fedora Diary: Things to do in Borjomi, updated 20.03.2026 — minibuses and Bolt - Agency of Protected Areas of Georgia — Borjomi-Kharagauli visitor centre, 23 Meskheti St --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.