For most people, a beach holiday is associated with the azure sea, bright sun and golden sand. In the Georgian resort of Ureki, everything is fine with the first two points: clear Black Sea water and generous Caucasian sun are right there. But with the sand, or rather with its color, there is an amazing story here – it is abnormally dark. This is due to the high content of magnetite, that is, low-intensity magnetic radiation is observed on the beaches. Therefore, lying on the Urek sand, you can not only have a great rest, but also improve your health thanks to natural magnetotherapy. It is for this that thousands of tourists from Georgia, Russia and other countries come here.
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History
Ureki is translated from Georgian as “a place where cattle cannot be driven away”, that is, a thicket. It is not known about any ancient settlements on the territory occupied today by the resort. But on the other hand, it is known for certain that after the end of the Great Patriotic War, captured Germans began to be exiled here for the extraction of magnetite, a raw material for metallurgy. They manually loaded sand into railroad cars, which were then sent to a smelter in Rustavi.
A case helped to discover the positive effect of Urek sand on human health. Erich von Anderre, deputy FAU rocket designer Wernher von Brau, like hundreds of other prisoners, worked here in the extraction of magnetite. Erich suffered from arthritis and had heart problems. One day he noticed that old cows often ran out of the rich pasture to the sea and lay down on the black sand. Von Anderre decided to follow suit and began to spend precious minutes of free time not playing cards, but on the beach. To his surprise, he found that the pain in his joints was gradually disappearing. Naturally, Von Anderre reported this to the head of the prisoner of war camp, who in turn conveyed the amazing news to Moscow.
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The export of precious magnetite from Ureki stopped, and it was decided to establish a large resort in the village.
True, the construction of sanatoriums and recreation centers was not very active. Perhaps the reason was marshy soil, which did not allow the construction of tall buildings. However, in the 70s. sanatoriums “Kolkhida”, “Rock Crystal”, “Druzhba” and others worked here.
In 1972, the Central Committee of the CPSU decided to transfer the Artek camp from Crimea to Ureki and create a new children’s health resort. They say that this angered the local authorities, who were afraid of the negative impact of such a large facility on the ecology of a unique region.
Today, Ureki, like the rest of Georgia, is actively developing. New hotels are being built, guest houses are opening. But dozens of people burrowing into the black sand remain an unchanged picture of the local beach.
How to get there
Ureki is located 60 km north of Batumi, so it is most convenient to get from this city. Buses and minibuses depart from the Batumi bus station to Ureki every day. Any one following in the direction of Tbilisi, Kutaisi or Poti will do, you just need to warn the driver to stop in Ureki. The fare is 5 GEL per passenger, a taxi ride will cost about 70 GEL.
You can also get there by train (there is a train station in Ureki), but they do not run as often as minibuses, so it is less convenient.
From the highway or railway station to the beach is about 3 km. In summer, electric cars go there (fare – 0.50 GEL per person), and the rest of the time you will need to take a taxi or take a walk.
Treatment
As for treatment, people suffering from diseases of the musculoskeletal system often come to Ureki. Magnetite sand effectively copes with the symptoms of osteoarthritis, chronic polyarthritis, osteoporosis. Even just lying on the beach will help you recover faster from injuries. The black color of Urek sand clears the mind, which proves an effective treatment of neurosis, depression and other diseases of the nervous system.
The best time to visit Ureki is July and early August. It is during these months that the sand reaches its ideal temperature. However, you can come here at the end of August-September.
However, not only sand. A wall of pines and eucalyptus trees growing along the 5-kilometer beach perfectly purifies and ionizes the air. The coast here is shallow, goes into the sea for 300 m, which will be very popular with children.
There are no special historical places directly in Ureki, so fans of the “excursion” can go to Batumi, Poti or Kobuleti located very close by. The latter contains the Mtirala National Park, famous for its mineral springs and healing springs. Urek sanatoriums also use this water for medicinal purposes.
Accommodation
In Ureki, you can stay in a sanatorium, a hotel, or simply rent a room from local residents. In the most famous health resort, “Colchis”, they offer 3 meals a day and a specially selected course of procedures. For a room overlooking the park they will ask 225 GEL, on the sea – 270 GEL. A two-room suite will cost 340 GEL.
You can rent a room in modern hotels (such as Albatros, Red Georgia, Tbilisi), where the price of accommodation starts from 100 GEL. Staying with the residents of Ureki costs only from 70 GEL per day for an apartment or from 40 GEL for a room in a private house. Of course, the price depends on the distance from the sea and comfort, but in any case, finding a suitable option is not difficult.
