The most cosmopolitan of Central Asia’s cities, the commercial and cultural centre of Kazakhstan, Almaty was the capital until 1997 when the seat of political power was moved to Astana. Almaty started life as a Russian fort in 1854 named Verny and under the Soviet Union was called Alma-Ata.

Almaty is located in the foothills of the Northern Tien Shan Mountain range which provide a spectacular backdrop. A modern low-rise city with a proliferation of parks, green spaces, street cafes and restaurants, Almaty is a pleasant place to spend a couple of days. The surrounding mountains provide splendid opportunities for walking and exploring nature.

Things to see in Almaty include Panfilov Park, named after the 28 Panfilov guards from Almaty, who died heroically defending Moscow against the Nazi invasion in 1941, Zenkov Cathedral, built entirely of wood in 1904 without the use of any nails and the Museum of Kazakh Musical Instruments in a striking wooden building. The Archaeology Museum houses the fascinating Golden Man, a Saka warriors costume that dates from around the 5th century BC, which was found in a burial mound near Almaty. It consists of over 4000 separate pieces of gold, finely worked with animal motifs.