Kazakhstan top 5 cities

Located in the north-central region at the heart of Kazakhstan’s vast Steppe, Astana is Kazakhstan’s shiny, newly-built capitol city. The new city is an example of an effort to encapsulate and symbolize the dreams of a new nation. Almost every public building is a symbol for what the nation hopes to become and a study in these symbols can be interesting in its own right.

A Short Rant: If I were to be completely honest, I would tell you that Astana is my least favorite place in Kazakhstan. There are many reasons for my low opinion (some of them even worth seeing for yourself). Perhaps at the top of my list is that the city is profoundly un-walkable. Even the transit system seems designed to force people into cars (for help sorting through the bus routes go to zaproezd.kz and select Astana). Long distances between bus stops, poorly planned (and executed) sidewalks, vast distances between major sights and attractions – and with all of that, the taxi system is poorly organized (it’s hard to hail one, you have to call one). For another thing, everything in the city feels half finished. Many guides list the newly built (yet somehow falling apart) architecture as the primary attraction in Astana and it is easy to be blinded by the fancy glass building molded into fantastic shapes. Look a little closer and you will see cracked facades and poorly laid pavements. How much of this is due to corruption and how much is just a result of an effort to cut costs and of doing too-much-too-fast is hard to tell.

You might wonder why I would write Top-5 list for a city I don’t have much affection for? While I might not enjoy spending time in the city as a whole, there are some parts of the city that I find fascinating, beautiful, and fun – these few things deserve a mention. Also It doesn’t do to dwell only on the negative of a place and this is my short list of positives.

1. Tour the Palace of Peace and Accord

I’m not going to lie, this might be my favorite building in Kazakhstan. Also known as the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, the first time I visited this white pyramid across the river from the government complex, it was grey from the late winter’s smog and the park around it was a desolate, windy snow field. It took me half an hour just to find the entrance. Once I got inside, though, I was floored by the design and vision of the building – a place to embody and facilitate a future Kazakhstan characterized by cooperation and conversation. They offer tours in many languages (including English)