Batumi

Batumi - darkometer rating : 1 - A city on the Black Sea in Georgia , near the border with Turkey . It is mostly a rather mainstream seaside tourist destination these days, especially for internal/regional tourism. But it also offers the dark tourist the odd diversion. In particular there's Batumi's own little Stalin Museum (Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Maybe not as good as the Stalin Museum in Gori , but a substitute if you can't make it there. Otherwise, there are bits that may be of interest in the Nobel Technological museum (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), which chronicles Batumi's past as a pioneering town of the oil business (e.g. at the other end of a pipeline from Baku ). Unfortunately, when I was there in August 2010 for a couple of days I got food poisoning (I shouldn't have eaten that fish at this harbour restaurant …) and therefore was unable to go and check out these museums in person as planned ... I just got well enough to travel in time for the train to Tbilisi – at least. I did, however, get an impression of the place on the first day, which confirmed Batumi's reputation as a pretty, spruced-up seaside resort town. In the centre, buildings have been refurbished immaculately and lots of lighting fixtures have been installed. Even on the beach. Plenty of construction (and demolition) is still going on. It is clear that money is being funnelled into the further development of the place. Batumi is also known as the party capital of the eastern Black Sea – and there's certainly no shortage of beach bars. The action is said to get going late at night – but I can't report on its nature from any own experience … As for restaurants, the range may not be as good as in Tbilisi, but it's decent (just don't eat the fish).