01
Medeu
Mountains * Ice * Dam
( 1972 )
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A MUST Kazakh-British Technical University
KBTU
A university that studies in a former parliament.
On Astana Square stands a building with eight columns. Construction began before the war, the Supreme Soviet sat here, and Kazakhstan's independence law was passed inside. Now students sit their exams here.
- Construction begins. By 1941 only the foundation pit had been dug, then the war stopped everything.
- The building is finished. Work on the project resumed in 1951.
- The Constitutional Law on the State Independence of Kazakhstan is adopted in this building.
- A government decree of 3 August establishes the Kazakh-British Technical University.
- A dual bachelor's degree programme with the London School of Economics begins.
- m² on five floors
- 33,000
- columns on the main façade
- 8
- seats in the Round Hall
- 650
- schools, including the maritime academy
- 11
Vertically
Almaty is easier to measure by altitude than by map.
Heights are in metres above sea level; for the station, its depth. And 2,366,500 people lived here as of 1 June 2026.
- Talgar Peak
- 4,979
- Shymbulak, Talgar Pass
- 3,200
- Big Almaty Lake
- 2,510
- Shymbulak, base
- 2,200
- Medeu rink
- 1,691
- Kok-Tobe
- 1,100
- City centre
- 785
- Abay station, depth
- −78
Why apples
In the mountains above the city the wild Sieversii apple still grows, the main ancestor of most of the varieties you have ever eaten. The city's name comes from the same place: alma means apple.
What to eat
- Beshbarmak
- Boiled meat, wide noodles and broth with onions. The centrepiece of any feast; the name means “five fingers”.
- Kazy
- Horse sausage made from rib meat. At the Green Bazaar it hangs in bunches.
- Lagman
- Hand-pulled noodles with meat and vegetables. The best versions are made in Uyghur cafés.
- Manty
- Big steamed dumplings with meat and onions.
- Baursak
- Pieces of dough fried in oil. They reach the table before anything else.
- Kurt
- Dried salty balls of fermented curd. A great snack in the mountains.
- Kumis and shubat
- Fermented drinks: kumis from mare's milk, shubat from camel's. You will remember the first sip.
- Aport
- A huge fragrant apple and the symbol of the city. The real ones are sold in autumn.
When to go
Spring
The city turns green and blooms, while snow still lies in the mountains. In the high valleys March and April bring avalanche danger.
Summer
It is hot in the city, so everything interesting happens higher up. Trails, lakes, plateaus.
Autumn
The best time of year. Golden slopes, aport apples and clear air.
Winter
Skiing at Shymbulak. Smog often hangs over the city, which makes the mountains all the more tempting.
How things work here
- Orientation
- The mountains are always to the south. That is all the navigation you need here.
- Metro
- 11 stations on one line, from Raiymbek Batyr to Bauyrzhan Momyshuly.
- To the mountains
- Buses No. 12 and No. 21 run from Dostyk Avenue to Medeu.
- Time
- UTC+5. Since 1 March 2024 all of Kazakhstan has been in one time zone.
- Maps
- Everyone here uses 2GIS, which has public transport and even building entrances.
- Before you set out
- Rules for entering the parks change often. Check national park websites and the news the day before.