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This is Kazakhstan’s most secular city, steadily maintaining the reputation of the Republic’s capital for 70 years running, and is to this day the nation’s financial and economic center. The Kazakhs refer to Almaty as their southern capital. Surrounded with snow-capped mountains and silver spruce woods, Almaty makes tourists fall in love with it at first sight.

Almaty is a sun-lit city immersed in greenery, with broad streets, nice-looking buildings, numerous parks and public gardens. The city’s 150 year long rich history is reflected in its numerous sightseeing attractions, historical and cultural sites, and contrastive urban architecture ranging from centuries-old serfdom-style buildings to state-of-the-art high rises. It still features voiceless eyewitness of the past events i.e. buildings, mostly wooden, that go all the way back to the pre-revolution times.

Popular places

Visit the famous Kasteev Museum.

They laid down the foundation for the museum at the exhibition marking the 15th anniversary of the Kazakh Soviet Republic. In 1970 it opened as a museum of applied art, and six years later was awarded its current status. The holdings of the museum are in a building that is a cultural and historical monument. Since 1983 the museum is named after Abylkhan Kasteev, an artist that stood at the origins of the national visual arts.

Get to Kok Tobe.

It’s best to use the cableway, with its station located at the very center of the city. Kok Tobe previously went by the name of Verigina Mountain. Being 1130 meters high, Kok Tobe offers a picturesque view of the city, and it is also where they have the famous Beatles monument. Moreover, the TV tower has great sky decks, – you’ll never have regrets if you get up there.

Go on a tour of fountains.

The fountains are not just an embellishment to the city: jointly with the network of aryks they are used for irrigation in Almaty, preventing outdoor plants from perishing during heat waves or the drought season. The first fountain was opened back in 1948. These days there are 125 of them, some aren’t separate, but rather form a part of series of fountains. All of the fountains start to operate on May 25 and remain in service until October 25. They are all covered by the same water supply schedule that has remained unchanged for decades.