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Photo: D.Papuashvili at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This is one of Tbilisi's posher districts, home to many immigrants and nouveaux riches. While not quite as atmospheric as Old Tbilisi, Vake is home to some lovely parks, pleasant nineteenth-century architecture, and some of the city's most high-end shopping, including luxury furniture store Missioni. There are also plenty of elegant, if understated, bars and restaurants in this area. In Vake there are two buildings of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi state university. The university is founded by Ivane Javakhishvili in 1918 and is one of the historical buildings in Tbilisi.
Vake Park is a public park in Tbilisi. The park was opened in 1946 and is located in the Vake district of Tbilisi at the western end of Chavchavadze Avenue. A World War II memorial sits at the top of the hill in the park.
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ეროვნული მუზეუმი ღია ცის ქვეშ
Part of the Georgian National Museum. "Skansen"-type museum with 70 houses and other buildings characteristic of the various parts of Georgia, plus household gadgetry and craft tools. The houses are in variable states of repair, some are tumbledown but especially those near the entry gate are okay and with helpful docents. Allow a half day for a visit, a quiet escape from the city.
This lake is in the hilly outskirts of Tbilisi. A popular weekend getaway for families, the lake offers pedal-boat rentals as well as swimming (deckchairs optional) for reasonable prices (swimming entry, without deckchair, is about 3 lari). Alright for a hot summer day, and offering views of the mountains and of the city below. Snackbars, restaurants and fruit cocktail shakers are available overlooking the lake. It's about an hour's pleasant walk from the Saburtalo district along country roads, passing the Ethnographical Museum, or a 10-15 minute (5–10 lari) cab ride from the center. There is also a funicular (cable car), going up from the corner of Vale Park at 74 Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue (running daily 08:00–20:00). While the lake itself isn't particularly nice, the views from the hike up to the lake makes it a worthwhile excursion.
Part of Georgian National Museum. Home of distinguished painter Ucha Japaridze (1906-1988).
Much further out than Turtle Lake (a cab will set you back about 10–15 lari each way), Lake Lisi is much larger and more remote, with long, winding mountain walks surrounding the lake. Unlike Turtle Lake, the entire Lake Lisi is opened up for swimmers. Be warned — there aren't always taxis waiting to take you back.