Issyk-Kul region is rich in both natural and historical attractions, so you should not limit your trip only to a beach holiday.

We have prepared a list of 7 places in the region where you can go on one of the days of rest.

You can get there before you reach the lake. The canyons are located along the highway from Bishkek to Issyk-Kul, 136 km from the capital. On the left side of the Chu river, in the vicinity of the “red bridge”, you need to go several kilometers deep.

Travelers call this place the Kyrgyz equivalent of the American “Grand canyon”. For millions of years, water and wind conjured these sandstones, and now you can find the shapes of ancient cities, skyscrapers, and various animals. These are the extinct volcano Segizkhan Sonny. The light clay in the canyon suggests that Issyk-Kul once extended to these places long ago.

This is the saltiest lake in Kyrgyzstan, and it is located on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul-73 km from Balykchi.

The lake is little known, but in some respects is not inferior to the world famous-the Israeli Dead sea. The level of salt in the water is really quite high – 70%. Therefore, the water pushes the body out, keeping it on the surface. On the shore there is a cluster of therapeutic mud: blue, black and green, which are considered useful for the skin and joints.

No one can say how this lake appeared in our region. As for the Dead sea, scientists explain its uniqueness by the fact that it is located at the lowest point of land on the planet — the Israeli landmark is located 400 meters below the level of the world ocean.

Only getting to the Salt lake is not easy, the road in the form in which we imagine it, no. The landmark will be the village of Alibek Baatyr, which used to be called AK-Terek.

In Cholpon-ATA, there is a Museum of rock images from various eras. In total, the Museum-reserve has more than 1 thousand petroglyphs Dating from the II Millennium BC — the VII century ad. But most of the rock paintings belong to the period of the VIII — VI centuries BC.

On the stones there are signs that indicate the time of creation of petroglyphs and the purpose of the drawings.

Perhaps there used to be a temple on the site of the Museum, where ancient people prayed to the gods, especially the Sun God. The size of the boulders varies from 30 cm to 3 m.

The Rukh Ordo Museum is located in Cholpon-ATA. It is a spiritual and cultural center that visualizes the stories, legends and myths associated with the lake. According to the idea of the Museum’s founder, Tashkent Kereksizov, its uniqueness lies in the unification of the five main religions of the world.

The Museum has five chapels that are identical in appearance, but inside contain symbols typical of each of the five religions-Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism. The sixth chapel is different from the other five-it is dedicated to the ancient beliefs of the Turkic peoples.

Also on the territory of the complex there is a memorial complex of Chingiz Aitmatov and sculptures dedicated to his works.

On the Northern Bank of Issyk-Kul, 40 km East of Cholpon-ATA above the village of Semenovka, there is one of the most beautiful places in the Issyk — Kul region-the Semenov gorge. Through it flows the stormy mountain river AK-Suu with the purest glacial water, and on the slopes rise the majestic Tien Shan firs.

Semenov gorge is one of the attractions of Kyrgyzstan and is one of the must-visit places for tourists vacationing on Issyk-Kul.

In summer, yurts are set up here, where everyone can taste dishes of the Kyrgyz national cuisine: beshbarmak, kumys, etc.horse rides along the gorge are organized for horse riding enthusiasts. In General, you will be made to feel like a real nomad.

The Skazka gorge is located on the southern coast of Issyk-Kul, near the village of Tosor, 4-5 km from the main highway. It is one of the favorite places of foreign tourists, thanks to which we often see exciting photos of the area in the photo albums of travelers.

Here you will see a canyon called the “Chinese wall” with a length of 5 km. it seems to protect the peace of sleeping castles and amazing animals created by nature from red clay and Sandstone: elephants, hippos, snakes and some absolutely unprecedented animals.

Jety-Oguz  is a picturesque mountain gorge located 28 km West of the city of Karakol on the southern Bank of Issyk-Kul. It is far from tourist destinations, but the spectacular views are worth the time spent on the road.

  The gorge is characterized by lush vegetation, it received such an unusual name due to the monumental ridge of red rocks “Seven Bulls”. Back in the Soviet Union, in 1968, rocks were depicted on postage stamps of the USSR, which were appreciated by philatelists around the world.

         Another remarkable rock is the famous “Broken Heart” – a place of real “pilgrimage” of lovers.