Outstanding things to do in Astana

Let me be clear by saying that of all places, I would have never imagined I could see Astana this year. Why? First of all, together with Ulan Bataar in Mongolia, it’s the coldest city in the world. And after spending 15 years in Malaysia, I developed some serious issues with the cold. Second, Astana is actually too far out on the steppe to be a quick getaway destination.

Luck had it that this year’s World Nomad Games were held for the first time in Kazakhstan and in the young capital Astana — a futuristic and modern city of only 27 years. Youngest dame in the world of cities? Probably. So here’s your guide to see the best that Astana offers, especially if you have a short time.

Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre

Hailed by some as the symbol of Astana’s modernity, the Khan Shatyr is a quirky transparent 90m-high shopping and entertainment centre shaped like a nomadic tent. Unveiled by former president Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2006, almost 20 years later it still represents Kazakhstan’s dream of development. It boasts many international boutiques and restaurants already seen in some of Europe’s most cutting-edge cities. Of course, being Central Asia, there must be some quirk to it: besides its strange shape, the complex holds the Sky Beach Club, an indoor tropical beach set right under the dome. This is where Astanians come to pretend they are going on a tropical holiday even when the temperatures outside pummel well below zero degrees.

Walking east from Khan Shatyr, the real Astana walking experience starts: going under and beyond the imposing archway rising above the Lovers Park, one finds oneself in the very walkable city centre, Nurzhol Boulevard.

Take a walk on Nurzhol Boulevard

Astana’s main thoroughfare is a mix of grandiose imperial spaces, post-Soviet architecture and 70s-inspired science fiction blended into modern buildings. If there’s one place to get to know Astana, here it is. The boulevard starts right at the Khan Shatyr and extends for about two kilometres to the presidential residence Ak Orda — a serious-looking palace set beyond two impressive golden-plated towers. Some of the city’s top business addresses, banks and hotels all flank the sides of this long, chic and yet popular walking area. At the centre of Nurzhol Boulevard is Astana’s main symbol, the Baiterek — a 105m-tall observation tower shaped like a metallic poplar tree topped by a sphere.

Get into the Baiterek

This tower rises in the centre of the city as a memento of the 1997 transfer of Kazakhstan’s capital status from Almaty to Astana. The building was inspired by a folktale about a mythical tree of life and a bird which laid its egg between the tree branches, symbolised by the sphere that tops the structure. You can take an elevator to the sphere, from where the views over Astana are spectacular. Don’t forget to queue up behind lines of proud Kazakhs as they wait to pound their hands into the Ayaly Alakan (meaning “caring hands”), an art piece with an imprint of Nazarbayev’s hand. It’s cleverly located at 97m of height to remember and symbolise the year of Astana’s capital proclamation.

Visit the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Even Astana’s best museum follows the city’s technological face. Made up of a mix of glass and blue marble, when it opened in 2014 it was the biggest museum found across Central Asia. Since 2024 you’ll no longer see the statue of former president Nazarbayev seated on a throne in the hall on entering — it has been removed to lessen the burden of the personality cult the man tried to build for himself. Don’t forget that Astana’s original name was his: Nursultan. The museum is divided into several levels dedicated to the history of Kazakhstan from prehistoric times to today (well, at least until 2014). Some of the highlights include a complete standing dinosaur skeleton and a hall dedicated to modern Kazakh art.

See the future at the Museum of Future Energy (Nur Alem Museum)

The former site of Astana’s 2017 Expo has turned into a large, space-age-looking area with a soaring metallic sphere as its main feature. That’s not a bait for alien invaders but the engaging Nur Alem Museum, dedicated to energy and technology. Inside, the exhibits occupy the upper floors of this round and transparent structure and span scientific topics ranging from planets and stars to wind energy. There are also prototypes of human-shaped robots that can sing and dance. If you come when the sun shines, the light piercing through the glass walls and down into the abyssal space between elevators and exhibit floors will be a spectacle in itself — and a terrifying sight for acrophobics.

Pay your respects to the Grand Mosque of Astana

This blue-domed, white mosque on the southern side of the city is the biggest in Central Asia and definitely a sight to behold. Depending on the weather, if you come in the early hours of the morning you may be able to see a sunrise emerge amid the mosque’s four minarets. Inside, the marble-tiled and carpeted halls are large and decorated with huge lamps and chandeliers, but pictures are only allowed to be taken using mobile phones. The grandest view is outside, where a web of interlocking pools set along the avenue leading into the mosque makes for a perfect image foreground. If you are out to scout that rising sun, this is one most crucial reflection spot.