About Astana

Entertainment

Attractions

Khan Shatyr- a large tent shaped building designed by Lord Foster. The tent has international shops, an indoor beach, children’s rides and places to eat.

Baiterek - (Kazakh “poplar”) made of metal, glass and concrete is an architectural symbol of the capital, and of Kazakhstan. Known as the Independence Monument, it is a golden glass sphere standing at 105 meters. There is a lovely view on a clear day, highly recommended to watch the sun go down over the city and see just how fast it is expanding. There is a little cafe at the top where drinks are available.

Presidential Cultural Centre - Museum, library, concert hall, and art gallery. The Museum holds 134,223 items and these are all incorporated into thematic collections: archaeological, ethnographic, fine arts, traditional Kazakh jewelry and ornaments, antique furniture and domestic items, rare books, weaponry, numismatics and bonistics.

Museum of Modern Arts - Paintings, graphic arts and sculptures. This museum has regular exhibitions by Kazakh and International artists and sculptors. Lectures and guided tours are available.

Astana Concert Hall - Various exhibitions and concerts are held here weekly.

Astana Opera. There are various performances of music, opera and ballet per month.

Astana Ballet. A distinctive feature of the theater is a unique multi-genre repertoire, which is continuously replenished by masterpieces of world’s and domestic classics and original choreographic production.

Central Park - In summer the park is quite busy as people make the most of the nice weather. There is an artificial beach next to the park; an amusement park for children. River tours can be taken and a river tour on a water tram. In winter when the river is frozen it is a good place to go sledging or cross country skiing. This is a good venue for all the family.

Mega Silk Way Astana - one of the biggest shopping mall in Astana with lots of various boutiques, several cinema halls, food courts and “Evrikum” entertainment park, Magnum supermarket.

Surrounding

You can take a hop-on-hop-off bus tour in Astana, which starts every day. Departure place: entertainment center “Duman”. Boarding on other stops is possible. Audio guide in 6 languages is available. More information is available on the websitehttp://redbus.kz/en.

Here is a very useful websitehttps://kazakhstan.travel/ where you will find a lot of information about travel destinations in each city and region of Kazakhstan, information on tours (fishing spots, mountain hiking, rafting, hunting etc.), detailed description of Kazakh cuisine, nature, architecture, music and nomadic festivals, and many more. On the website you can also enjoy 3D tours around some sightseeings. Additionally, the website provides practical information on visas, currency, weather, airports, and even plugs and measurement.

ALZHIR Museum which is aMemorial Museum of Victims of Political Repressions and Totalitarianism is situated about 30kms outside Astana and is worth a visit. If driving on Qolghazhyn Highway and continue on this road to the outskirts of the city. From there continue straight on the Qolghalzhyn Highway onto PP-2 until you reach Malinovka village. Or you can take a comfortable bus from the Duman entertainment center site.

The Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve is a wetland paradise about 160 kms north west of Astana in the very heart of Kazakhstan. It is located at the crossroads of two migration routes. These wetlands act as a giant motor junction service station for birds. The area, most of which is protected, is home to the world’s most northerly population of pink flamingos. Other notable residents include pelicans, cranes and a variety of birds of prey. Spring and summer (mid April to September) provide the best opportunity to see these birds. Flamingos should be resident during the whole of this period. For a fortnight at the end of April and the start of May, the steppe bursts into colors as the tulips come into bloom. In the winter months ice fishing is popular.

Borovoe. About a 3 hour drive north of the city lays the attractive resort of Borovoe. It is a combination of mountains, forests, rocks, pine and deciduous forests and lakes. The climate here is sharply continental with hot summers and severe winters. The resort is very popular with locals and the hotels which are expensive tend to be fully booked during the summer months. There are a range of leisure facilities, cafes and restaurants available. It would be a great place to spenв some time during summer. In winter the resort offers ice skating, skiing, horse riding etc.

Zerenda . It is a nice place with lakes and forests in the same direction as Borovoe, but is generally less crowded.