Astana is the capital and second largest city (behind Almaty) of Republic of Kazakhstan. Located in the north-central portion of Kazakhstan, the city is experiencing an economical boom with some of the greatest building projects. Once a tiny mining town, today the city of Astana is lined with many stores, coffee houses, restaurants, discotheques and even some casinos. Some modern places and the buildings have become the attractions for the visitors.

The Korgalzhin National Park:

Located to the south-west side of Astana, the Korgalzhin National Park is the biggest reserve zone in Kazakhstan. Covered by feather grass steppe, the preserve has got two big lakes, Tengiz and Korgalzhin. There are about 350 kinds of plants and around 82 kinds of birds inside the park.

Duman:

Duman is the first and only aquarium located around 3000km away from the ocean. There are more than 2000 marine animals living inside. The Aquarium has got around 3 million litres of water and requires around 120 tons of special sea salt.

Bayterek tower:

This 105m-high monument and the observation tower has become the symbol of the capital of Kazakhstan. It has an observation desk at 97m height which symbolizes the year when the capital of the country was moved from Almaty to Astana. This popular venue hosts an art gallery, a large aquarium and a restaurant too.

President’s Culture Centre:

The luminous, blue-domed building of President’s Culture Centre is one of the most beautiful buildings in Kazakhstan. It hosts a high-quality national museum inside. Traditional Kazakh items are exhibited on the ground floor while the archaeological section is situated on upper floor. Kazakhstan’s history from the 14th century is covered on the 3rd floor of the centre.

Address: Baraeva 1, Old Town, Astana, Kazakhstan

Palace of Peace & Harmony:

The Palace of Peace and Harmony is a 77 m high pyramid type building in Astana. This beautifully structured building is visible from the both coasts of Ishim. It is constructed to host the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. Also, it hosts a 1,500-seat opera house built at the lower levels.