Kutaisi

Kutaisi is the capital of the Imereti region, in western Georgia, and the country's third-largest city, set on the banks of the river Rioni, some 221 kilometres from Tbilisi. It was a political centre of ancient Colchis and, centuries later, capital of the Kingdom of Georgia and of the Kingdom of Imereti; that history is reflected in the 11th-century Bagrati Cathedral and in the Gelati Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site a few kilometres from the city. Between 2012 and 2018 it was also the seat of the Georgian Parliament. Its sporting tradition is carried by clubs such as Torpedo Kutaisi, in football, and Aia Kutaisi, several times rugby champions, and in 2023 the renovated Ramaz Shengelia Stadium hosted matches of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Kutaisi has been designated by ACES Europe as European City of Sport 2027.