Travel + Leisure

2022-06-23 07:48:19 By : Ms. Yan Cheung

There's now a diamond in the sky in the country of Georgia — in the form of a glass bar suspended from a bridge dangling about 900 feet above the Dashbashi Canyon (also known as Tsalka Canyon). It's located about a two-hour drive west of the capital city of Tbilisi.

The spectacular attraction opened last week featuring a 787-foot-long Diamond Bridge, as its dubbed according to the Georgian and Isreali investment firm Kass Group that backed the project. The group calls the span the development's "crown jewel" with a "first-of-its-kind hanging bar" in the center that it says "will constitute a unique attraction for international tourists as well as local residents."

The glass bar, which has several levels, is located at the highest point of the bridge, and will be submitted to the Guinness World Records with hopes it will be certified as the restaurant suspended at a highest point from a bridge, Ekaterine Tordia of Kass Group said, according to the Georgian English-language news site Agenda.ge.

The prime minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, attended the opening ceremony on June 14 and said, "This unique place is a clear example of the confluence of the protection of our heritage and the development of a modern world-class infrastructure," according to a local media report.

The bridge also has a zip line for guests to bike across, as well as cliff swing, according to CNN, while Kass Group also says there will be laser light shows that can be seen from the visitor's center and the restaurant.

The transparent structure will allow new viewpoints of the Dashbashi Canyon (also known as Dashbash and Tsalka) Natural Monument, with the Ktsia (Khrami) River running through volcanic rocks, and spectacular waterfalls and diverse wildlife in the area. "The vegetation cover of the surrounding ecosystem is rather sparse, whereas the plants on the steep slopes of the canyon and astounding waterfalls create absolutely different micro-landscape, with characteristic micro-climate specific fauna," according to Georgia's Agency of Protected Areas.

The park also has a trail that's about a mile long from the visitor center through the valley to a waterfall that typically takes about an hour to hike, the agency said.

There aren't accommodations in the surrounding areas, but Dashbash village in Tsalka, is a 10-minute drive away. Kass Group also said there are plans to build an "exclusive resort including 100 premium units," as well as other amenities like pools and camping areas.