# Dry Bridge Market, Tbilisi > Dry Bridge Market is Tbilisi’s open-air flea market on the Dry Bridge and in neighbouring Dedaena Park: Soviet badges, coins, film cameras, silver, rugs and paintings. It’s free to browse, haggling is expected and stalls take cash in lari. There are no official hours — roughly 10:00–17:00 daily in dry weather, busiest at weekends. Allow about an hour. Web page: https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/dry-bridge-market - City: [Tbilisi](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi), Georgia - YesGo score: 50/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Hours: Daily ≈ 10:00–17:00; few stalls when it rains - Best time: Weekend mornings — some sellers pack up by late afternoon - Payment: Cash in Georgian lari; cards are rarely accepted - Where: The Dry Bridge over Zviad Gamsakhurdia Embankment and Dedaena Park by Saarbrücken Bridge, Mtatsminda - On foot: ≈ 15 min from Liberty Square, ≈ 25 min from Meidan - Time needed: ≈ 1 hour - Coordinates: 41.70047, 44.80255 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **Every day** — the market runs daily, with the most sellers on Saturday and Sunday (source: Georgian National Tourism Administration; In Your Pocket Tbilisi; Madloba) - **Cash in lari** — the way to pay — most stalls don’t take cards (source: Madloba; Where Is The Market) - **1851** — the bridge was completed (work began in 1848–1849) (source: Russian and German Wikipedia; Wikidata Q12867285) - **Giovanni Scudieri** — the Italian architect who designed the bridge (source: Russian and German Wikipedia; Wikidata) - **1930s** — the arm of the Kura under the bridge was drained and paved — hence “Dry” (source: Russian Wikipedia (1933); German Wikipedia (by the 1930s)) - **Late 1980s–1990s** — the market grew as locals sold family belongings to get by (source: Russian Wikipedia; In Your Pocket Tbilisi) - **Dedaena Park** — the neighbouring park where artists sell their paintings (source: OpenStreetMap; Georgian National Tourism Administration; Madloba) - **Mshrali Khidi** — the Georgian name, meaning “dry bridge” (source: Wikidata; Georgian Wikipedia (მშრალი ხიდი)) ## Dry Bridge Market hours There is no official timetable, so treat this as unofficial: sellers set up **every day from about 10:00 to 17:00**. Some guides say 9:00, others say stalls stay until 18:00 or 19:00. Rain, wind and short winter days all mean fewer stalls and an earlier finish. Saturday and Sunday bring the most sellers and the widest choice — and the most people. Weekdays are calmer, with gaps along the rows. Come before lunch: by late afternoon many sellers are already packing up. On major holidays such as 1 January and Orthodox Easter the market may not run. > **Bring cash in lari** Almost every stall is cash only, and sellers don’t take dollars or euros. Withdraw Georgian lari from a bank ATM in the centre before you walk over, and carry small notes — a seller may not have change for a big one. Your card still works for the metro, cafés and most shops nearby. ## What to buy at Dry Bridge Market - Soviet pin badges, medals and orders, army flasks and helmets — the most common stalls. - Old coins and banknotes, from tsarist to Soviet. - Film cameras and lenses, radios, record players and vinyl. - Tableware and porcelain, tea-glass holders, candlesticks, cigarette cases and lamps. - Silver jewellery, enamel work, engraved daggers and swords. - Handmade rugs, ceramics and knitted goods from local craftspeople. - Paintings by Tbilisi artists in Dedaena Park — old-town views, still lifes, abstracts. ## Is Dry Bridge Market worth it? Yes, if you like vintage things, Soviet design or old cameras, or you want an original painting to take home. It costs nothing to wander, nobody pushes you to buy, and an hour is enough for a proper loop. Serious collectors can easily spend half a day. The market took shape in the hard years of the late 1980s and 1990s, when people brought family silver, books and china here to make ends meet. Today many sellers trade here full-time and most buyers are tourists, so the first price is rarely the real one. If all you want is fridge magnets and churchkhela, skip it — the souvenir shops of the old town are closer. ## How to get to Dry Bridge Market 1. From Meidan (Gorgasali Square), walk up Shardeni Street and on along the Kura past the [Bridge of Peace](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/bridge-of-peace) — about 1.7 km, 20–25 minutes. 2. Coming by metro? Get off at Liberty Square (Tavisuplebis Moedani) — airport bus 337 stops there too. 3. From Liberty Square, head downhill towards the river through the lanes of the old centre — about 1.1 km, around 15 minutes. 4. Look for Saarbrücken Bridge over the Kura: the Dry Bridge and the stalls start where it lands on your side of the river. 5. Walk back along the embankment to the Bridge of Peace and [Rike Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/rike-park), where the cable car climbs to Narikala. ## Prices and haggling Nothing has a price tag — everything is agreed face to face. Everyday Soviet bits cost a few lari; rare watches, silver or paintings run into the hundreds. Expect the opening price to be padded, especially for foreigners. Haggle calmly and with a smile: ask, offer clearly less, then meet in the middle. Buying several things from one seller helps. Typing numbers into your phone’s calculator saves a lot of confusion, and many sellers speak some English or Russian. > **Real antiques need an export permit** Georgia has a law on exporting cultural valuables: genuine antiques, icons, rare books and old paintings need a permit, or customs can hold them at the airport. Contemporary art and souvenirs are fine. If you buy something genuinely old, ask the seller for a paper stating it is not a cultural-heritage item. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Cash in lari, in small notes - [ ] Arriving before lunch, ideally at the weekend - [ ] No rain in the forecast - [ ] A tote bag for what I buy - [ ] Ready to haggle — the first price is high - [ ] No genuine antiques without export papers ## Dry Bridge vs Dezerter Bazaar vs old-town souvenir shops | | Dry Bridge | Dezerter Bazaar | Old-town shops | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What you get | Vintage, antiques, paintings | Food, spices, churchkhela, cheese | Magnets, wine, ceramics | | Where | Mtatsminda, by Saarbrücken Bridge | Next to Station Square | Shardeni, Meidan | | Prices | Haggle | Haggle | Fixed | | Payment | Cash | Mostly cash | Cash and cards | | Time needed | ≈ 1 h | ≈ 1 h | On the way | Go to the Dry Bridge for atmosphere and one-of-a-kind finds, to Dezerter for food. For simple gifts, the shops between Meidan and the river are enough. ## Historic Tbilisi compared Historic places in Tbilisi rated by YesGo. - [Narikala Fortress](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/narikala-fortress) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL - [Abanotubani Sulphur Baths](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/abanotubani) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Private room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour - [Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba)](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/sameba-cathedral) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free - [Dry Bridge Market](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/dry-bridge-market) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free to browse - [Chronicle of Georgia](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/chronicle-of-georgia) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Mtatsminda Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/mtatsminda-park) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free entry, funicular ≈ 10–12 GEL - [Rustaveli Avenue](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/rustaveli-avenue) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, 24/7 - [Open Air Museum of Ethnography](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/tbilisi-ethnographic-museum) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ 20 GEL (unofficial) ## Market morning, fortress evening The market while the sellers are out, then along the river to the Bridge of Peace, the cable car up to the fortress and down to the sulphur baths. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Dry Bridge Market](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/dry-bridge-market) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free to browse 2. [Bridge of Peace](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/bridge-of-peace) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free 3. [Rike Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/rike-park) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL 4. [Narikala Fortress](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/narikala-fortress) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL 5. [Abanotubani Sulphur Baths](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/abanotubani) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Private room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour ## Good to know Dezerter Bazaar is a different market — the big food market by Station Square. “Dry Bridge” is the name of the bridge itself; Saarbrücken Bridge next to it is the one that actually crosses the Kura. ## Tips - Do one full loop without buying anything — you’ll quickly see where prices are fairer. - Hunting for a painting? Head into Dedaena Park, where artists often sell their own work. - Ask for fragile china to be wrapped in newspaper, then pack it inside clothes. - Combine the market with a stroll down [Rustaveli Avenue](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/rustaveli-avenue), which starts at Liberty Square. - Ask before photographing a stall — not every seller is happy about it. ## Questions ### What are Dry Bridge Market opening hours? There are no official hours; stalls are usually out daily from about 10:00 to 17:00 in dry weather, with the most sellers at weekends. ### Is Dry Bridge Market open every day? Yes, but weekdays have fewer sellers than Saturday and Sunday. Heavy rain empties most of the rows. ### Is Dry Bridge Market worth visiting? If you enjoy vintage and Soviet-era things or want local art, yes — it’s free and an hour is enough. For simple souvenirs, old-town shops are easier. ### What can you buy at Dry Bridge Market? Soviet badges and medals, coins, film cameras, silver jewellery, china, rugs and paintings by Tbilisi artists. ### Do Dry Bridge Market stalls take cards? Rarely. Bring Georgian lari in cash, in small notes; dollars and euros aren’t accepted. ### Can you haggle at Dry Bridge Market? Yes, it’s expected — opening prices are high. Make a counter-offer and meet in the middle. ### How do I get to Dry Bridge Market? Walk: about 15 minutes from Liberty Square metro, or 20–25 minutes from Meidan along Shardeni Street and the river. ### Can I take antiques out of Georgia? Genuine antiques and old art need an export permit for cultural valuables. Contemporary paintings and souvenirs don’t. ### Why is it called the Dry Bridge? In the 1930s the arm of the Kura under it was drained and turned into a road — the bridge stayed, the water went. ## How we checked The market has no official website or timetable, so hours and payment are marked “verifying”: guides range from 9:00–17:00 to 9:00–19:00, and we show the most common window. Bridge history is checked against Russian and German Wikipedia and Wikidata; the start of construction differs (1848 or 1849), completion is 1851 everywhere. Russian Wikipedia dates the draining of the river arm to 1933 and German Wikipedia to the 1930s, while the tourism administration says the 1940s — we say “1930s”. The tourism administration’s claim that the market began in the 1950s is not backed by other sources. Walking times come from OpenStreetMap walking routes. ## Sources - Russian Wikipedia: Сухой мост - German Wikipedia: Trockene Brücke - Wikidata: Q12867285 (Mshrali Bridge), Q1526363 (Giovanni Scudieri) - Georgian National Tourism Administration: Dry Bridge Flea Market - In Your Pocket Tbilisi: Dry Bridge Bazaar - Madloba: The Dry Bridge flea market in Tbilisi - Where Is The Market: Dry Bridge Market, Tbilisi - Law of Georgia on the Export of Cultural Valuables from Georgia and Their Import to Georgia (Matsne) - OpenStreetMap: Dedaena Park, Zviad Gamsakhurdia Embankment; walking routes --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.