Vake Park
Vake Park is a large Soviet-era park at the head of Chavchavadze Avenue, with a stairway to a WWII memorial and the Turtle Lake ropeway.
Vake ParkPhoto: Mostafa Meraji, CC0 1.0Vake Park is the broad green park at the western end of Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue, in the leafy Vake district of Tbilisi, and one of the city's favourite places for an easy walk. Its formal spine starts at the main gate, drops down a wide flight of steps between flower beds and tiger sculptures, passes a round fountain and then climbs a long stairway beside a cascade to the war memorial on the wooded ridge. Either side of that axis you find shady lanes paved with red sand, playgrounds, cafes, an open-air cinema and sports grounds, with the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium on the south-western side.
Most people come to stroll, jog or let children loose on the playgrounds. The climb up the central stairs leads to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and, higher still, a tall bronze female figure, with the whole axis and Vake spread out below you. Near the Chavchavadze Avenue entrance a ropeway climbs ~1.1 km to Turtle Lake in about six minutes. It was suspended for maintenance in December 2025, so check that it runs before you plan a green afternoon with the lake and the Open Air Museum of Ethnography. On 9 May, Victory Day, veterans and families bring flowers to the memorial.
History
Building started in 1946 on the site of a former glider airfield, and the park formally opened on 1 May 1951, designed by a team under the architect Kuchu Dgebuadze. A stadium, an open-air cinema and pavilions followed in the mid-1950s, and a first cable car to Turtle Lake in 1966. In 1981 the Memorial of Glory and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were unveiled at the top of the main axis, and the park took the name Victory Park for a time. The eight warrior statues around the tomb were moved to Gori in 2009. A 2013 hotel permit inside the park was dropped after public protests.
What to see and do
- Climb the long stairway beside the cascade to the 1981 war memorial
- Stop at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the foot of the cascade
- Find Ivane Pataridze's tiger sculptures by the central flower beds
- Ride the ropeway up to Turtle Lake, when it is running
- Walk the red-sand lanes under the trees in autumn colour
How to visit
Getting there
Vake Park is ~8 km by road from Freedom Square, roughly 15-20 minutes by taxi outside rush hour. Vake has no metro station, but city buses run up Chavchavadze Avenue to the Vake Park stop beside the main entrance and the ropeway.
When to go
Spring and autumn; summer mornings or evenings. Plan 1–2 hours, half a day with Turtle Lake here.
- Wear shoes with grip for the memorial: the side steps by the cascade are uneven and partly covered in washed-down soil.
- City Hall is rebuilding the fountain and cascade system, with completion planned for spring 2027, so parts of the central axis may be dry or fenced off.
- The ropeway was suspended for maintenance in December 2025; if it is still shut, a taxi can drive you up the Turtle Lake road instead.
- Come on 9 May to see the Victory Day flower-laying, or on any other day for a quiet climb.
Weather at Vake Park
Based on the climate of Tbilisi, 5 km away. Warmest in August (32° by day), coldest in January (0° at night), with 511 mm of rain a year. Best months: Sep–Oct.
Vake Park: FAQ
Where is Vake Park in Tbilisi?
Vake Park fills the slope where Chavchavadze Avenue ends, ~8 km by road from Freedom Square. Buses stop at the main gate, and a taxi usually needs 15-20 minutes.
Is Vake Park the same as Victory Park?
Yes. The park opened in 1951 and was renamed Victory Park in 1981, when the war memorial on the ridge was unveiled. Today it is known as Vake Park again.
How do I get from Vake Park up to Turtle Lake?
The ropeway station stands by the Chavchavadze Avenue entrance, and the cabin climbs to the lake in roughly six minutes. If the cabins are idle, a taxi can still reach the lake by road.
Nearby places
Straight-line distance from Vake Park.
