Astana
Kazakhstan · 347 m
Description
Astana was moved here from Almaty in 1997 and built outright on open steppe, so the whole left bank is a designed capital of glass towers along one axis, with a tent by Foster at one end and an observation sphere at the other. It is the second coldest capital on earth after Ulaanbaatar and the winter is the fact that shapes everything, including the heated shopping tent that stands in for a park for five months. The new grand mosque is the largest in Central Asia. The usable season is roughly May to September.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 4 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: June or August
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Baiterek monument and its viewing sphere
- Khan Shatyr tented shopping centre
- Astana Grand Mosque
- Nurzhol boulevard along the axis
- Palace of Peace and Reconciliation pyramid
- National Museum of Kazakhstan
- Nur Alem sphere and the future energy museum
- Hazret Sultan mosque
- Atameken open-air map of Kazakhstan
- Esil river embankment
- ALZhIR memorial at Malinovka(Day trip)
- Korgalzhyn flamingo lakes (May - September)(Day trip)
Getting there
- Airports:
- NQZ
- Train stations:
- Astana-Nurly Zhol, Astana-1