Kazakh Switzerland - as tourists and locals call it “Burabay” - a national park in Kazakhstan. Here is a unique nature combining mountains with snow-capped peaks, clear clear lakes and tall pines, filling the air with a healing aroma. People from different countries come here to relax, improve their health, gain strength and good mood.
How the park was created
The village of Borovskaya was founded by Cossacks who settled in these areas in the middle of the XIX century. In 1898, a forestry was established in the village, designed to protect the natural resources of the region. Soon after the revolution, Borovoye becomes a resort where tuberculosis is successfully treated with koumiss. Forests, lakes and mountains surrounding the village since 1935 have been part of the reserve, which is liquidated after 16 years.
Only at the turn of the century, in 2000, the Kazakh government decides to organize the Burabay National Park. Today, this area attracts tourists from different parts of the world.
The name of the park “Burabay” in translation into Russian means “camel”. According to legend, this animal, climbing to the top of the mountain, with a loud cry warned people about the approach of the enemy.
Park geography
Burabay Park is located on the Kokchetav Upland. Peaked mountains, composed of crystalline rocks, are located at an altitude of 480 m above sea level. The weathering and the influence of water bizarrely cut the mountain surface, turning it into a fantastic landscape. The highest mountain of the park - Kokshetau, or Sinyukha, rises 947 m.
Park area is 13 thousand hectares. Most of the hilly surface is covered with pine and birch forests. The park is unique, because on its territory a variety of plants grow:
- forest;
- steppe;
- salt marshes.
11 species of them are “Red Book”.
A third of the entire fauna of Kazakhstan lives in parkland.
Here you can meet the inhabitants of the steppes, forests and mountains, northern and southern species of animals. In Burabaya there is a chance to see a wolf, an elk, a lynx, a marten, a corsac, badgers and a weasel.
The park has 14 large clean lakes and many small ones where crayfish, ripus (or Bohr herring), as well as carps, carp, tench, perch, crucian carp are found. Waterfowl stop on the lakes during the flight.
The climate in this part of the country is mountainous, without sharp temperature drops, with mild summers and calm winters.
Things to do
Burabay National Park - relaxation for every taste throughout the year!
In winter, “Burabay” becomes a ski resort, where excellent mountain trails are arranged, and a ski lift operates. Beginners come to the aid of instructors.
Winter ATVs, snowmobiles, sledges and cross-country skiing are popular.
In summer, tourists come to the village of Borovoe to go hiking and excursions, ride horses and jeeps. Park ponds do not go unnoticed. In Lake Borovoye, the water warms up to + 18-20 ° C, a well-maintained sandy beach with a gentle entrance to the water is convenient for children and adults. The pond provides for walks on water modes of transport - boats and catamarans.
Lakes Schuchye, Small Chebachye, Ozernoye and Kuturkul were chosen by fishermen. You can rent gear and, if luck smiles, you can catch perch, pike perch, chebak, pike, and bream from a boat or the shore.
Many come specifically to do mountain climbing. On the rock of Ok-Jetpes, whose name translates as “You can’t get an arrow”, 6 routes of different complexity were conducted: 2 multi-pitches, 2 thread and 2 classic. Therefore, both experienced climbers and beginners, tourists without training can climb.
Photographers love these places, because the surrounding nature helps to create real photo masterpieces.
Guided tours of the Burabai National Nature Park
The park has a variety of excursion routes that allow you to enjoy the charming nature of these places, see various sights.
What do tourists offer:
- climb the Khan pass, from the observation deck of which a beautiful mountain panorama opens;
- visit the glade of Abalai Khan and the cave of Kenesary;
- to visit the lakes Bolshoi Chebachye and Borovoe, on the rapids of the Imanaevsky spring;
- hear the legend in the dancing forest;
- climb Mount Bolek-tau;
- learn a lot of interesting things about the inhabitants of the park.
The Burabay State National Natural Park is well represented in the Museum of Nature. The attraction is located in the village of Borovoe. But in the park there is another museum dedicated to Abalai Khan. It is located in a sacred meadow marked with a stone throne.
Legends of ancient places
This region is full of ancient legends that guides will tell while traveling around the surroundings of the Burabay National Natural Park. One of the most famous explains the appearance on the shore of Lake Borovoe a grove of dancing birches. They say that thin birch trees, fancifully curved and bent to the ground, are fairies frozen in a dance that the khan saw.
The appearance of a wonderful natural oasis among the steppes is associated with the generosity of Allah, who scooped out wallets from the bottom, from where he distributed gifts to all peoples, gave everything that was left to the Kazakhs.
There are legends about Mount Zheke-Batyr, the rocks of Zhumbaktas, Ush-Kyz and the Sphinx, lakes and mountains.
Recreational opportunities
It’s not by chance that Burabai National Park is called the “pantry of health”. All year I work in health resorts, where they successfully treat diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory organs, including tuberculosis, musculoskeletal system, and gastrointestinal tract. The following treatment factors favor this:
- Clean, thin air is filled with the healing scents of herbs and pines. Low humidity (up to 77%) and many sunny days create increased ionization in the air, which has a good effect on oxidative processes in the body.
- Actively applied treatment of silt sulfide mud from park lakes.
- Mineral water comes from wells and Lake Mai-Balyk, it contains sulfur, potassium, calcium and sodium salts, magnesium bicarbonates, carbonates.
Initially, the village of Borovaya was famous as a place where they treat with koumiss. Traditional Kazakh drink is made from mare's milk, which has healing properties. Almost a complete complex of vitamins and amino acids, more than 50 types of sour-milk bacteria in koumiss - all this helps to strengthen the immune system. The drink tones and improves the condition of the body. Koumiss treatment is popular today.
Accommodation
Those who come to Burabay, the national park, stop at boarding houses, estates, hotels, cottages and recreation centers located both in the Borovoye village and directly in the park. For those who want to combine rest with treatment, sanatoriums work, children take health camps.
The summer season starts in June and ends in October, in winter the park acts as a ski resort, so you should reserve accommodation in advance.
How to get there
It is worth to visit the "Burabaya", a national park. Where this wonderful place is located, it is easy to determine from the map. It is located in Kazakhstan, in the Akmola region, 95 km from the city of Kokshetau and 20 km from the city of Schuchinsk.
You can get to Burabay by almost any type of transport. It:
- Air traffic. By plane to the airports that are located in Astana or Kokshetau. They are separated from the park by 250 and 90 km, shuttle and regular buses will deliver to their destination.
- Railway transport. Trains make a stop at the Borovoye Resort station (Shchuchinsk), from where minibuses No. 11, 12 leave for the park.
- Moving by car, you must go along the highway R-7.
