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White Bridge, Kutaisi

The white lattice railing of the White Bridge spanning the rocky bed of the Rioni River in central Kutaisi
Photo: Kober, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free
Hours
24/7 — it’s an open pedestrian street
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
20 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Time needed
15–20 minutes, up to 30 with the riverside
Address
Joseb Grishashvili Street, Old Town
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Coordinates
42.26873, 42.70039YesGo MapGoogleApple
From the Colchis Fountain
5–7 min on foot via Pushkin Street
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Traffic
Pedestrians only
Cable car nearby
Lower station by the bridge; unofficially 12:00–20:00
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Paying nearby
Most cafés take Visa and Mastercard; keep a few lari in cash for small purchases

Key facts

1872the current iron bridge opened, replacing a ruined predecessor
3 sourcesEurasia.travelMadlobaGeorgia.travel — Georgian National Tourism Administration
2019renovation: a new deck with some glass panels over the river
2 sourcesGeorgia.travelMadloba
An Unusual ExhibitionEldar Shengelaia’s 1968 film — the bronze boy on the railing is one of its characters
3 sourcesGeorgia.travelEurasia.travelMadloba
1850–1852the first bridge on the site, designed by military engineer Witte
3 sourcesEurasia.travelMadlobakutaisi.travel (gives 1850)
1860the first bridge was destroyed
3 sourcesEurasia.travelMadlobaGeorgia.to
3 spanson stone piers
2 sourcesEurasia.travelMadloba
Tetri Khidithe Georgian name — literally “white bridge”
2 sourcesOpenStreetMapkutaisi.travel
Poetrylines by Georgian poets are engraved on the deck plates, in Georgian script only
2 sourcesGeorgia.travelMadloba
Pedestrianno cars on the bridge
2 sourcesMadlobaOpenStreetMap
RioniKutaisi’s main river, crossed here in the old town
2 sourcesGeorgia.travelEurasia.travel

Is the White Bridge worth visiting?

Yes, as part of a walk — not as a destination. The bridge is free, always open and sits between the Colchis Fountain and the river, so you’ll likely cross it anyway. Slow down for 15 minutes: the bronze boy with two hats, the glass panels in the deck and the view down the rocky Rioni are the point.

If you only have a day in Kutaisi, put Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery first. The White Bridge is the pleasant five-minute detour that makes the old town feel like a river town.

Who is the Picasso boy statue?

It’s a bronze boy sitting on the railing, holding two hats. Locals call him the Picasso boy, but he has nothing to do with the painter — it’s just a nickname.

He comes from Eldar Shengelaia’s 1968 Georgian film An Unusual Exhibition, in which a boy grabs two hats and jumps from the bridge into the Rioni. The sculpture nods to the old habit of jumping from here as a rite of passage for true Kutaisians.

He faces the river, and he’s the most photographed spot on the bridge. In the daytime there can be a short queue for photos; it moves quickly.

White Bridge history

The first bridge here was built in 1850–1852 to a design by military engineer Witte and destroyed in 1860. Its iron replacement was started in 1870 and opened in 1872; the metal parts were ordered from abroad — from France, according to the Georgian National Tourism Administration.

The railings were painted white, and the name stuck. The nearby Red Bridge got its name the same way.

A full renovation in 2019 gave the bridge a new deck of metal plates, some of them replaced with glass, and engraved lines of Georgian poetry into the metal. The text is in Georgian only — beautiful script even if you can’t read it.

What to see on and around the bridge

  • The Picasso boy on the railing — shoot from the side so the riverbed is behind him.
  • The glass panels in the deck: stand on one and look down at the rocks and fast water.
  • Georgian poetry engraved on the deck plates — the alphabet alone is worth a look.
  • Old houses with wooden balconies hanging over the Rioni, upstream and down.
  • The lower station of the Kutaisi cable car right by the bridge — gondolas climb to a hilltop park with city views.
  • The Red Bridge and the Chain Bridge — 5–10 minutes along the river; all three take about an hour.
  • The Colchis Fountain on the main square, where most walks start.

How to get to the White Bridge from the Colchis Fountain

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on footdestinationStreet view

Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.

On foot

  • Colchis Fountain is about 9 min away on foot.
  • Bagrati Cathedral is about 17 min away on foot.

More tips

  1. Start at the Colchis Fountain on David the Builder Square — city minibuses and taxis stop here, and the airport shuttle drops you a few minutes’ walk away.
  2. Walk down Pushkin Street towards the river — about 5 minutes.
  3. The street brings you to the Rioni: white railings ahead, the cable car’s lower station at the end of the bridge.
  4. Walk to the middle of the bridge to find the bronze boy — 5–7 minutes from the fountain in total.
  5. Head back along the river to the Red Bridge, or call a car with Bolt, the ride-hailing app that works in Kutaisi.

White Bridge at night or by day?

Evening is best. After sunset the bridge is lit up, the riverside glows, the heat goes and the crowd around the boy thins out. By day you see the riverbed clearly through the glass panels — so if you pass twice, look both times.

In spring the Rioni runs high, muddy and loud under the bridge. In late summer the water drops and the rocky bed shows — a different but equally photogenic scene.

Kutaisi bridges: White, Red, Chain or Rustaveli

Whiteyou are here1872 iron footbridgePedestrians onlyPicasso boy, glass deck15–20 min
Red19th-century iron bridgePedestrians and carsRed railings5 min
ChainOld crossing on stone piersPedestriansChains and old piers5–10 min
RustaveliModern road bridgePedestrians and carsView of the White Bridge5 min

If you’ll see one bridge, make it the White. The three old ones — White, Red and Chain — make an easy one-hour riverside loop.

Before you go: checklist

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Tick what is ready — your ticks stay in this browser.

Kutaisi viewpoints compared

Kutaisi places with the best views, rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

White Bridgeyou are here4420 minFree—
Bagrati Cathedral4440 minFree17 min walk
Motsameta Monastery3940 minFree5.0 km
Gelati Monastery381 hFree6.3 km
Sataplia Nature Reserve311 h 30 min30 GEL, under-6s free5.2 km
Martvili Canyon221 h 30 minEntry 40 GEL, boat ≈ 20 GEL33.8 km
Kinchkha Waterfall221 h 30 min20 GEL for foreign visitors28.1 km
Okatse Canyon212 h30 GEL for foreign visitors23.6 km

Central Kutaisi in half a day

The fountain on the main square, the White Bridge over the Rioni and Bagrati Cathedral on its hill. Add them to your route in one tap — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Colchis Fountain15 min · Free
  2. 9 min walk from the previous stopWhite Bridgeyou are here20 min · Free
  3. 17 min walk from the previous stopBagrati Cathedral40 min · Free

3 places · about 1 h 41 min with walks · 26 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Colchis Fountain

Kutaisi, Georgia

15 min · Free · 9 min walk

Bagrati Cathedral

Kutaisi, Georgia

40 min · Free · 17 min walk

How to do it right

  • Start at the Colchis Fountain: the bridge is 5–7 minutes away, and the Red Bridge is a short riverside walk beyond.
  • Come after sunset — the lights are on and the boy has fewer visitors.
  • Stand on a glass panel and look down; kids love it, but keep a hand on them near the railing.
  • The cable car’s lower station is right by the bridge if you want a view of the old town from above.
  • Pair the bridge with Bagrati Cathedral for an easy half-day in the centre.

Questions

Where is the White Bridge in Kutaisi?

In the old town, over the Rioni, on Joseb Grishashvili Street — a 5–7 minute walk from the Colchis Fountain via Pushkin Street.

Is the White Bridge free?

Yes. It’s an open pedestrian street — no ticket, no gate.

What are the White Bridge opening hours?

It’s open 24/7, every day. In the evening it’s lit up.

What is the Picasso boy statue?

A bronze boy holding two hats, sitting on the railing. He’s a character from Eldar Shengelaia’s 1968 film An Unusual Exhibition, who jumps from the bridge into the Rioni. The Picasso name is only a nickname.

When was the White Bridge built?

The current bridge opened in 1872. An earlier bridge stood here from 1852 until it was destroyed in 1860. It was renovated in 2019, when the glass panels were added.

Does the White Bridge have a glass floor?

Partly: some of the deck plates were replaced with glass in the 2019 renovation, so you can see the river below.

Is the White Bridge worth it at night?

Yes — it’s lit up, cooler and quieter. Daytime is better for seeing the riverbed through the glass.

How long do you need at the White Bridge?

15–20 minutes for the bridge and photos; up to half an hour if you walk on to the Red Bridge.

How do I get to the White Bridge from Kutaisi Airport?

Take the airport shuttle bus or a taxi to the centre near the Colchis Fountain, then walk 5–7 minutes.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Georgian National Tourism Administration (Georgia.travel): The White Bridge
  • Kutaisi tourism portal kutaisi.travel: White Bridge
  • Eurasia.travel: White Bridge, Kutaisi; Cable Car, Kutaisi
  • Madloba: White Bridge in Kutaisi; Bridges of Kutaisi
  • Georgia.to: White Bridge
  • OpenStreetMap: streets of old Kutaisi; Wikidata Q42691138
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 30.10.2026 ·
How we checkedThere is no official page with hours: the bridge is an open pedestrian street, free and open 24/7, as every guide agrees. Dates and the renovation are checked against at least two sources. Sources differ: kutaisi.travel says the bridge was built in 1850 and painted white in 1860; the others say the first bridge of 1850–1852 was destroyed in 1860 and the current one opened in 1872. We show the first-bridge dates and the 1872 opening. The 2004 installation date for the boy sculpture appears in only one source, so we leave it out. The film is sometimes given as Don’t Grieve; three sources name An Unusual Exhibition. Cable car hours are unofficial and marked as being checked; we don’t quote its fare because sources disagree. Walking times are measured on OpenStreetMap.

Top YesGo picks: Kutaisi

Motsameta Monastery

Kutaisi, Georgia

40 min · Free

Gelati Monastery

Kutaisi, Georgia

1 h · Free

Sataplia Nature Reserve

Kutaisi, Georgia

1 h 30 min · 30 GEL, under-6s free

Prometheus Cave

Kutaisi, Georgia

1 h 15 min · 40 GEL, boat +30 GEL

Martvili Canyon

Kutaisi, Georgia

1 h 30 min · Entry 40 GEL, boat ≈ 20 GEL

Kinchkha Waterfall

Kutaisi, Georgia

1 h 30 min · 20 GEL for foreign visitors

Okatse Canyon

Kutaisi, Georgia

2 h · 30 GEL for foreign visitors

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