Explore Astana, Kazakhstan’s futuristic capital

Atyrau bridge and northern lights towers — During the summer, the river becomes a cooling-off spot for the locals

(Image credit: Avantika Chaturvedi)

Rising from the Kazakh steppe – a vast sweep of grassland so flat that the horizon seems to run in a perfectly straight line – Astana has few hills, forests or other natural features to interrupt the view. Yet the city itself is anything but understated. Giant pyramids, sweeping towers, an 150-metre-high tent and one of Central Asia’s largest mosques punctuate the otherwise level landscape, giving the capital a rather theatrical presence.

This is largely because modern Astana is a young capital. It became Kazakhstan’s capital, succeeding Almaty, in 1997, when it was still a relatively small northern city known as Akmola. What followed was a vast programme of construction – with architects from around the world brought in – that turned the northern steppe city into the political and administrative centre that it is today.

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The landmarks arrive in quick succession on a walk along the boulevard: the Presidential Palace, the sweeping headquarters of government ministries and the distinctive Northern Lights (Severnoye Siyaniye) towers – a trio of curving, blue-green glass skyscrapers that appear to lean towards one another. Baiterek Tower stands roughly in the middle, its golden sphere visible from much of the surrounding city. With a viewing platform at 97 metres above the ground and open to visitors, this is the city’s centrepiece, inspired by a Kazakh legend of the tree of life and the mythical bird Samruk.

You’ll also find Sky Beach Club here: an indoor beach with imported Maldivian sand, palm trees and warm water. It is a strange but rather enjoyable response to Astana’s climate. In a city where winter temperatures can plunge to brutal levels, the idea of going to the beach without going outside is difficult to argue with. Entry to Sky Beach is expensive, so unless you are desperate for tropical temperatures in the middle of the steppe, it may be enough to admire the architecture and move on.

For a more local scene, head towards the Yesil River. The promenades on either bank make for some of the city’s nicest walking and cycling, flanked by coffee, boba and ice cream shops aplenty. The Atyrau Bridge, a pedestrian and cycle bridge built as a gift from the Atyrau Region for the capital’s 20th anniversary, links the two sides with a striking structure inspired by a sturgeon fish, referring to Atyrau region’s Caspian fishing heritage. During the summer, the river also becomes a cooling-off spot for the locals. The Gorodskoy Plyazh, or city beach, is a designated swimming area in Central Park, and on warm afternoons it fills up quickly.

Over the other side of the river, Saryarka, one of the older districts, is a useful antidote to the monumentalism of the new capital. The historic centre has an old square, fountains and a collection of low-rise buildings, including several former merchant houses, like that of Matvei Kubrin, built in the early 20th century and now occupied by a supermarket. Other buildings associated with the Kubrin family have been converted for different uses, their survival offering a glimpse of the commercial town that existed here before Astana became a capital.

The Holy Assumption Cathedral – one of the city’s major Russian Orthodox landmarks – is yet another reminder of Astana’s layered identity, bringing a very different architectural vocabulary to the streets. Meanwhile, the Wall of Peace is a small but interesting monument to the city’s role as a venue for international religious and diplomatic dialogue. Neither needs hours of sightseeing, but both help discredit the idea that Astana is simply a city of shiny new buildings.

Astana has a growing restaurant and bar scene, although it is still considerably smaller than Almaty’s. Qazaq Gourmet is a good introduction to contemporary Kazakh cooking in a polished setting with wine pairings. The restaurant’s menu combines traditional recipes from around Kazakhstan with modern techniques, and their 11-course Ómir tasting menu uses individual dishes to explore different aspects of Kazakhstan’s culinary and cultural traditions.

For cocktails, Temple Bar is considerably more clandestine. There is no obvious sign, and the entrance looks sufficiently like a janitor’s cupboard that you may wonder whether you have taken a wrong turn. Once inside, red velvet curtains open into a dim, living-room-like space furnished with mismatched sofas and lamps. There is no cocktail menu. Instead, the bartender asks what spirit you like, what flavours you want and how strong you want the drink to be. Ask for something spicy and sour with tequila and you might end up with a clarified coriander cocktail, suspiciously close to exactly what you wanted. The bar also serves zhaya, made from the salted, cured, and smoked or dried meat of a horse’s rump. Astana, it seems, is quite happy to be futuristic and traditional at the same time.