28 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Kazakhstan - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Kazakhstan

Saty, Kazakhstan

Kaindy Lake

Submerged trees jut ghost-like out of an idyllic turquoise mountain lake.

Aralsk, Kazakhstan

Aral Sea

Rusting ships sit in a desert where a sea used to be.

Almaty, Kazakhstan

The Last Wild Apple Forests

Granny Smiths and Fujis can both be traced back to Kazakhstan, where apples still grow wild.

Baikonur, Kazakhstan

Baikonur Cosmodrome

World's oldest and largest space launch facility, once a secret missile testing site.

Enbekshikazakh District, Kazakhstan

Issyk Lake

The lovely lake that was naturally dammed, then naturally destroyed, then unnaturally saved.

Almaly, Kazakhstan

Bayzhansay Ghost Town

An abandoned Soviet-era mining town in the mountains of South Kazakhstan.

Almaty, Kazakhstan

Big Almaty Lake

A brilliant turquoise lake in the mountains.

Astana, Kazakhstan

Palace of Peace and Reconciliation

Iconic pyramid from famed British architect Norman Foster designed to represent all of the world's religious faiths.

See All 28 Things to Do in Kazakhstan See All 28 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Kazakhstan

Kurt

These cheese balls have fueled Central Asian nomads for centuries.

Kumis

Infants and Genghis Khan enjoyed this fermented mare's milk.

Shuzhuk

Once a delicacy limited to the wealthy, smoked horse meat sausage is now a centerpiece at many Kazakh feasts.

Qarta

This simple dish of boiled horse intestine is prized for its unique and layered texture.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Silk Road Cities of Central Asia

Explore Kazakhstan

Launch Map

Kazakhstan Leaderboard

Places Added

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Recent Kazakhstan Activity

inadakef wants to go to Vladimir Lenin Busts and Statue

icemubu wants to go to Vladimir Lenin Busts and Statue

Theophania has been to Issyk Lake

Jerdeaq80 has been to Vladimir Lenin Busts and Statue

JACQUIISABAMF wants to go to Kaindy Lake

Stories
About Kazakhstan

Two fishing vessels nestled in the sands near the former seaport city of Moynaq, Uzbekistan.

Why It's So Hard to Study the Toxic Dust Blowing From Earth's Youngest Desert

It all comes down to something scientists call "ground truth."

by Jonathan Carey

Koryo Saram meal, photographed in Ushtobe, Kazakhstan.

How Survivors of Stalinism Created a New Korean-Fusion Cuisine

When the Koryo Saram were forcibly relocated, they forged new identities.

September 10, 2018