The town of Borjomi underwent a period of expansion and development in the 19th century thanks to the presence of natural springs, which provided an unexpected boost to this little place nestling at the heart of a beautiful, verdant and hilly region in southern Georgia. The town rapidly acquired various hotels and other facilities; its sparkling mineral water became established as one of the country's favourites; and the Tsar's brother had a palace built here.
After the ebullience of the tsarist and later the soviet periods, the town underwent a period of relative decline before finally emerging from its slumber and re-establishing itself as a very popular tourist destination amongst the Georgian people. When I went to Borjomi, I found it to be a nice, pleasant town, with a slightly sleepy feel to it, from where you have access to some beautiful hikes, especially in the neighbouring Borjom-Kharagauli National Park, which is a very nice place to spend some time when on an extended trip to Georgia.