Europe Square
Europe Square in Batumi: the old town's main square, with Medea holding the Golden Fleece, an astronomical clock and grand facades.
Europe SquarePhoto: visitajara.comEurope Square in Batumi is the open heart of the old town, a paved, car-free space on Memed Abashidze Avenue a few blocks back from the sea. Its centrepiece is a tall white column crowned by a bronze Medea, the Colchian princess of Greek myth, who lifts a gilded fleece above the crowd. On the east side, the former National Bank building carries an astronomical clock on its spired corner tower, and the rest of the square is framed by ornate facades, cafe terraces and a big fountain. Some locals still use its older name, Era Square.
Give it a slow half hour. Walk around the column to see Medea from several angles, then cross to the clock tower and use the information board below it to work out what each dial shows, from the Sun's place among the zodiac signs to the age of the Moon. Take a coffee on one of the terraces and watch the square fill up after dark, when the facades and the spire are lit. From here the seafront promenade, the Piazza and Theatre Square, which has its own Neptune fountain, are each under ten minutes away on foot.
History
The square owes its present look to the 2000s and 2010s, when Batumi's old town was restored and partly rebuilt to attract visitors. Its earlier name, Era Square, is still heard; one account says the switch to Europe Square came in 1997, when Adjara became a member of the Assembly of European Regions. In 2007 the city unveiled the Medea monument by sculptor Davit Khmaladze, a reference to ancient Colchis, the western Georgian kingdom where Jason and the Argonauts came for the fleece. A German-made astronomical clock followed around 2010-2011, and in the 2010s the square became the city's main stage for New Year, concerts and festivals.
What to see and do
- The Medea monument (2007) by Davit Khmaladze, a bronze princess with a gilded fleece high on a white column
- The astronomical clock on the former National Bank tower, with a board that explains how to read it
- The large fountain and the old-style street clock on the square
- Rows of ornate facades, some from the 19th and early 20th centuries, others newer buildings in historic dress
- The city's New Year tree, concerts and Batumoba festival stages in season
How to visit
Getting there
Europe Square lies in Old Batumi, ~400 m inland from the boulevard, so most central hotels are a short walk away. From Batumi airport it is ~7 km, 15 to 20 minutes by taxi or ride-hailing app; from Batumi Central railway station ~5 km, about 15 minutes by car; and from the main bus station ~2 km, a 25-minute walk. Several city bus lines stop on the streets around it.
When to go
After dark, when the facades and clock tower are lit; late December for the New Year tree. Plan 30–60 minutes here.
- Return after sunset: the lit buildings and the gold-and-black spire look their best once the sky turns deep blue.
- Read the information board before you try to decode the clock; without it the rings and hands are hard to follow.
- On New Year's Eve and concert nights the square gets packed, so keep phones and wallets in a front pocket and agree a meeting point.
- Taxi drivers know the square as Evropis Moedani, which makes it an easy pickup spot in the old town.
Weather at Europe Square
Based on the climate of Batumi, 1 km away. Warmest in August (28° by day), coldest in February (5° at night), with 2,519 mm of rain a year. Best months: Jul–Sep.
Europe Square: FAQ
Who is the statue on Europe Square in Batumi?
The statue on Europe Square in Batumi is Medea, the Colchian princess who, in the Greek myth, helped Jason and the Argonauts take the Golden Fleece from her father, King Aeetes. Davit Khmaladze made the bronze, unveiled in 2007, and the fleece in her raised hand is gilded.
Where is the astronomical clock in Batumi?
It is set into the corner tower of the former National Bank building, where Memed Abashidze and Konstantine Gamsakhurdia streets meet on the east side of the square. Made in Germany, it shows the time together with the positions of the Sun, Moon and planets, the Moon's phase, and sunrise and sunset.
Is Europe Square the same as the Piazza in Batumi?
No. The Piazza is a separate, enclosed square ~650 m to the south-east, under ten minutes on foot. Theatre Square, with the Neptune fountain in front of the drama theatre, is a third square, one short block to the north.
What was Europe Square called before?
Its older name is Era Square, which locals and some official listings still use. Sources differ on when the new name came in; one gives 1997, linking it to Adjara joining the Assembly of European Regions.
Nearby places
Straight-line distance from Europe Square.
