I wouldn’t call The Bridge of Peace in Tbilisi, Georgia an eyesore but during the bright daylight hours is certainly sticks out against the backdrop of the “old” part of town. Sitting above the Kura River that winds its way through the middle of Tbilisi, The Bridge of Peace (built in 2010) practically screams, “I am modern!” next to places that are well over 800 years old. Georgians, who are probably the friendliest people I’ve ever encountered, will tell you enthusiastically to visit the bridge, and you should, though I’d amend that to add: at either sunrise, sunset, or after dark.
That’s when the over 10,000 LED lights built into The Bridge of Peace are illuminated, quite a lovely sight as the dusk sky turns slightly orange. You’ll find families, teenagers skipping their homework, and young lovers walking over to the large park just behind my camera from the angle above. It’s a long walk up the bridge from the other side, strangely with the entrance right in front of a casino. (Whose bouncers do not appreciate you taking photos of. You’ll have to sneak a few and trust you’re faster than Mr. Air Muscles standing outside.)
So after visiting The Bridge Of Peace at sunrise, sunset, and in the middle of the night (after partaking in the Georgian pastime of drinking far too much wine), I could go back to my enthusiastic Georgian friends and tell them what an impressive sight I saw. The Bridge Of Peace was designed by Italian Michele De Lucchi, built in Italy, then broken down into 200 pieces and driven to Tbilisi. Considering how far Georgia has come since 2003 and 2008, it seems only appropriate a bridge of peace would be put together in this capital city.