There is a lot to do in Astana, but many people don't even know it exists. If you're traveling to Kazakhstan, you'll most likely visit Almaty, but the new capital is certainly an interesting stop on your visit to this huge country!
Astana is the youngest capital in the world. What was once a little-known city in northern Kazakhstan has become an ultra-modern home for the elite. Over the past 20 years, the city has been filled with impressive architecture and huge apartment buildings to become an up-and-coming world capital. The city itself seems huge, but with a population of just 800 people it is still in the early stages of its young life.
What you need to know about Astana
Population : 800 people
Currency: tenge (about 330 euros for 1 euro) .
Language : Kazakh and Russian equally, English very little
Getting there : Uber is cheap and very easy, but you need Wi-Fi. The walking is great.
Accommodation in Astana
You can stay in a hostel or hotel. Comfortable and affordable accommodation and just look at those views!
Entertainment in Astana
BOULEVARD NURZOL
This area is the center of new Astana and extends from the Presidential Palace to the Khan-Shatyr Entertainment Center. Walking along this 3,5 km pedestrian zone is one of the best things to do in Astana and you will be amazed by the size and grandeur of some of the buildings.
OOGLE ARCHITECTURE
Astana has some of the most impressive architecture I have ever seen in the city. Everything is huge and some kind of engineering feat. From the largest mosque in Central Asia to the glass pyramid and the world's largest tent. Some famous buildings worth passing by are the Peace and Reconciliation Monument, Astana Opera Theatre, Velodrome and Astana Arena. Many buildings in Astana are also environmentally friendly and use a range of modern technologies to improve energy efficiency.
BAITEREK TOWER
In the center of the new city stands the icon of Astana. The tower is 97 m high with a golden sphere at the top. It is Astana's main attraction and a local icon. Usually tourists can take the elevator to stand inside the sphere and look at Astana from above. Unfortunately it was closed for construction in preparation for the exhibition while we were there, but the views would have been amazing.
SHATER KHAN-SHATER
As I said, Astana is home to the world's largest tent, and it's truly amazing. The highest point is 150 m high, and the area below it is equal to 10 football fields. The transparent “tent” maintains a constant temperature inside throughout the year. Inside there is a shopping mall, food court, mini theme park with a monorail and a beach club with sand and palm trees! There's a good selection of inexpensive restaurants inside and it's definitely worth a look.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KAZAKHSTAN
This is an interesting museum if, like us, you knew very little about Kazakhstan before you decided to go there. Entrance costs just 500 tenge (about 1,50 euros) and you can easily spend a couple of hours wandering around. The highlights for us were the real yurt, the sound and light show in the lobby, and the “Creation of Astana” exhibition, which includes miniatures of all the main buildings. It was hard to schedule these "shows" but they both played twice while we were there.
ASTANA AT NIGHT
Don't listen to mom, go out after dark. We had an amazing view of the city from our dorm room, but it was more impressive to wander around the central city and see it up close. From the 50-story screen to the buildings changing colors, it was quite a spectacle. We found Astana to be completely safe at night.
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