Travel guideHistorySightsNightlifeMap

Alma-ata Sights and Landmarks Guide, Kazakhstan

The city of Alama-ata is a popular tourist destination for many reasons. One important reason why visitors check out the city is because Alama-ata is considered as the cultural center of the country. In fact there are around 270 organizations that focuse on culture that are active in the city and some of these are exhibited and performed on the concert halls, the circus, the theaters and a whole lot more. Aside from these locations and many cultural spots, the city also offers a number of alternatives.

One good place to check out is Kok Tobe which means green hill in the country. There is a popular recreation area in the Kok Tobe and there is a special aerial tramway that can transport the visitors to the area. A television tower of the city is also located on the hill and a number of recreation and amusement parks can be seen in the area as well. Some tourist's cafes and restaurants are present in the area and these establishments can surely meet the demands of the tourists.

If you are a first time tourist to the area, then a visit to the many fountain sites in the area shouldn't be forgotten. There are a number of fountain sites in the city and based on the estimates, there are around 125 fountain groups and isolated fountains in the city and this is based on the 2007 figures. Perhaps one of the most popular in the city is the Oriental Calendar and this fountain site features 12 sculptures that also represent the 12 animals of the Kazakh animal year cycle. This is comparable to the Chinese zodiac.

The Alama-ata Tower as mentioned is worth a visit as well. The tower is the country's tallest structure and this tower can be seen on any part of the city. This was built by the Soviets in 1983 and this was initially used in telecommunications. In fact this tower in the city is considered as the tenth tallest telecommunications structure. In order to check out and to visit the actual tower, the visitors need to take the cable car up the hill.

After checking the tower, then visitors can spend the time chatting and checking the views inside the many cafes in the area. The hill will offer a great and panoramic view of the city. Here the visitors can sample the many specialties of the country like the 'shashlik'.

email to a friendAsk our travel experts a question about Alma-ata