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CITY GUIDE / 16 discovery ideas

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Almatı.

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1. Food · Medeu

   Local tastes at the Green Bazaar (Zelyony Bazar)

   Wander Almaty's legendary bazaar for horse meat, dried fruit, Korean salads and dairy — and photograph it.

2. History · Almaly

   Tour the art-filled stations of the Almaty Metro

   See underground art on a short metro ride through deep, marble-and-mosaic stations — and photograph it.

3. History · Medeu

   Panfilov Park and the 28 Guardsmen Memorial

   Walk the shaded park around the monumental war memorial and the eternal flame — and photograph it.

4. History · Medeu

   See the Zenkov (Ascension) Cathedral

   See the colorful Orthodox cathedral built entirely of wood without a single nail, which survived earthquakes — and photograph it.

5. Culture & art · Almaly

   Watch street performers on Almaty's Arbat (Jibek Joly)

   Take an evening stroll among street musicians, painters and cafés on the pedestrian avenue — and photograph it.

6. Culture & art · Medeu

   Trace Almaty's 'father of apples' roots: taste the Aport apple

   In the city whose name comes from the root for 'apple,' taste the giant red Aport apple at the market — and photograph it.

7. City discovery · Medeu

   Bathe Eastern-Soviet style at the Arasan Baths

   Take a steam-and-massage session at Arasan, the huge complex with Finnish, Russian and Eastern bath sections — and photograph it.

8. Nature · Medeu

   Hike to the Butakovka Waterfall

   Take a short trek to the waterfall along a trail through fir forest near Almaty — and photograph it.

9. Nature · Medeu

   Take the cable car up Kök-Töbe hill for the city view

   Ride the cable car to the hilltop; see Almaty, the TV tower and the Beatles statue — and photograph it.

10. Nature · Medeu

    Summer hike from Shymbulak to the Tuyuksu glacier

    In summer, take the cable car up and trek the mountain trails toward the glacier's edge — and photograph it.

11. Nature · Bostandyk

    See the turquoise water of Big Almaty Lake

    See the turquoise-green color, shifting by season, of the 2,511 m glacier-fed alpine lake — and photograph it.

12. Culture & art · Medeu

    Performance at the Abay Opera and Ballet Theatre

    Catch an opera, ballet or symphony night at Almaty's classic opera house — and photograph it.

13. Nature

    Watch a kokpar (horseback game) match

    Watch the steppe's toughest traditional horse game, where two mounted teams contest a goat carcass — and photograph it.

14. Nature · Medeu

    Skate at the high-altitude Medeu rink

    Skate at the world's highest-altitude ice rink, 1,691 m above sea level — and photograph it.

15. Nature · Medeu

    Ski at Shymbulak

    Hit the slopes at Central Asia's best-known ski resort, at the foot of the Tian Shan — and photograph it.

16. Nature · Raiymbek

    View / climb the Khan Tengri summit (7,010 m)

    See Khan Tengri, the marble pyramid of the Tian Shan, from base camp — or summit it on a licensed expedition — and photograph it.