Discover Almaty, Kazakhstan: Top Attractions, Activities & Must-See Sights
Almaty is a former capital and the largest city of Kazakhstan and it's definitely a spectacular place to visit. If you want to know what to visit and see here, learn my travel article.
Few words about the city of Almaty
Kazakhstan was founded in the Bronze Age, but the Almaty city was first mentioned in the 13th century, while it was one of the stations in the Silk Route. But if you will decide to visit the city, you will see that there are not many remains from the past.
An almost whole city is an example of Soviet architecture, so it's all grey, but if you like Socialist climate, you won't be disappointed. You can find here a lot of block buildings as well as beautiful wooden houses. For me, that kind of mix had its own climate.
So, what's really interesting in the Almaty city of Kazakhstan? Let's find out!
Zenkov Cathedral
Full name is Zenkov Cathedral of Holy Ascension in Almaty and it's located at Panfilov Park. You will easily recognize it, as it's a beautiful and full of colors Orthodox Church built in 1904.
It's not only nice outside, so make sure to get inside and see some of its frescoes. The entrance is free. While being here you can also wander a bit in the Panfilov Park.
Central Mosque
Central Mosque is one of the largest mosques in whole Kazakhstan. It's designed for more than 7000 people and it was built in 1999 on the place where the old mosque was burned in 1987.
It can be visited every day except for Fridays and the entrance is free. Warning: women must cover their heads, hair, arms, and legs to be able to get inside.
Almaty Lake (called also Ozero Bolshoe Almatinskoe)
This beautiful lake is placed just 30 minutes (about 15 kilometers) by car south of Almaty city. It's the natural alpine reservoir located in the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains at the height of 2511 meters above sea level. If you want, there are a lot of hiking opportunities here. Almaty Lake has a beautiful green and turquoise color of water and there is also a forest, so it's an awesome place to get some fresh air.
To get here, you can get a bus number 28, which goes from the Navoi up Dulati street or from the roundabout at Al-Farabi. From here, you can get to the Almaty Lake by taxi, but you can also get here by private vehicle, which will be probably cheaper. If you going here by your own car, you will have to pay a parking fee (as far as I remember it was a 200 KZT).
Kok-Tobe Hill and Tower
This is the place for all fans of beautiful city panoramas. The top of the tower placed on the hill is at 1100 meters above the sea, so as you can imagine you can see whole Almaty city. You can find here a restaurant, souvenir shops or even the Beatles statue.
If you want to get here, take one of the buses number 95 or 99 or use a cable car from Dostyk and Abay Aves. The cable car (about 2000KZT) is much more expensive than the bus (about 600KZT).
Zhybek-Zholy (Silk Road) Pedestrian Street
Zhybek-Zholy Pedestrian, called also a Silk Road, is the main tourist street in Almaty. If you want to try local cuisine, buy some goods from the street sellers or hear some musicians, this is the best place for that. The big advantage of that street is that there are no cars allowed here.
Conclusion
Almaty is a very nice and a bit exotic city. Kazakhstan has a lot of profits from selling the oil and it is visible when you wondering through the city streets. I hope this article helped you discover what to do and see in this beautiful Kazakhstan city. If you have some questions or just want to say something about Almaty, leave me a message in the comment section below.
