Kazakhstan has an amazing and unique pristine nature area – the land of blue mountains and lakes known as Borovoe (Burabai) nature resort located in Akmola region.

After two hundred kilometers trip across boundless steppes, suddenly you can see majestic mountains, forests and rock piles. These beautiful places are a favorite destination for tourists. Photos by Dmitry Chistoprudov

unusual nature views

Tags: Akmola oblast · landscapes

In October 2013, the Kazakh Geographic Society organized a historical and archaeological, ethnographic expedition to Kyzylorda region located in the southern part of the country. During the six-day expedition, the participants drove about 3.5 thousand kilometers.

The region has a vast historical and cultural heritage, beautiful nature. Here are some photos taken during the expedition by Damir Otegen and Vasily Mihailin, voxpopuli.kz.

picturesque landscapes

Tags: Kzyl-Orda oblast · landscapes

Yazovoe Lake is located in the East Kazakhstan region, near the border with Russia.

The area around the lake is extremely picturesque: waterfalls, mists, distant mountains and primeval forests. Yazovoe Lake location on Google Maps. Photos by Ilia Afanasieff

beautiful views

Tags: East Kazakhstan oblast · landscapes

These wonderful autumn photos were taken in the mountainous part of the East Kazakhstan region – the western part of the mountain range of the South Altai.

Up to a height of 1400-1500 meters you can see steppe landscapes; larch forests reach a height of 2100-2200 meters; in the highlands – subalpine and alpine meadows. Also, there are more than 180 glaciers. Photos by Grigoriy Bedenko for voxpopuli.kz

fairy tale pictures

Tags: East Kazakhstan oblast · landscapes

Charyn Canyon is a canyon along the Charyn River located about 200 km east of Almaty, close to the border with China. It is the part of the Charyn National Park.

This canyon is a natural monument composed of sedimentary rocks that are about 12 million years old. The height of the steep canyon walls is about 150-300 meters. Most interesting place for tourists is the so-called Castle Valley. Photos by Dmitry Chistoprudov

picturesque mountainous landscapes

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes

Borovoe (Burabai on Kazakh language) is a year-round climatic resort opened in Akmola region in 1910. The resort is situated 250 km north of Astana. This beautiful place attracts a lot of locals and tourists.

The resort is located at an altitude of about 480 meters, in a pine forest. Burabai is called “the pearl of Kazakhstan” and “Kazakhstan’s Switzerland”. Borovoe location on Google Maps. Photos by Petr Ushanov

more picturesque landscapes

Tags: Akmola oblast · landscapes

The territory in the south-eastern part of Kazakhstan from ancient times is called Zhetisu, which means in Kazakh “seven rivers”. The reason for that is the large number of rivers flowing down the slopes of the Tien Shan and Dzhungar Alatau Mountains.

A lot of historical sites along with beautiful nature make this region a paradise for tourists. In this land first state formation of Kazakhs (Kazakh Khanate) originated.

fly over the southeastern Kazakhstan

Tags: landscapes

Big Almaty Lake is a beautiful turquoise lake located about 15 km south of Almaty, at the height of 2510 meters. The lake is not only pleasing the eyes of tourists and residents of Almaty, but also gives the city clean water from the glaciers of the Tien Shan.

The lake appeared as a result of an earthquake. Big Almaty Lake has unusual for most lakes color that varies from light green to turquoise. The depth is about 40 meters, the length – 1.5 km, the width – 1 km. It is the part of the Ile-Alatau National Park. Big Almaty Lake location on Google Maps. Photos by Andrey Gavrikov

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Tags: Almaty oblast

Natural Reserve Kyzyl-Kent is located in the east of Kent Mountains, 250 km south-east of Karaganda.

Mountainous oasis Kent is of great interest due to the fact that these areas are not developed and do not attract a lot of tourists because of the lack of large bodies of water. The following nice photos of this place were captured in September 2012 by Ilia Afanasieff

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Tags: Karaganda oblast

Markakolsky State Nature Reserve is a nature reserve located in the East Kazakhstan region, near Lake Markakol. The reserve was established August 4, 1976; the total area is about 103 thousand hectares.

The reserve protects natural complexes of grasslands, steppes, larch taiga, mountain coniferous forests, subalpine and alpine meadows and rocky tundra on the mountain slopes of the southern Altai region around Lake Markakol (Lake Markakol on Google Maps). Photos by Ilia Afanasieff

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Tags: East Kazakhstan oblast