A green Soviet-era capital beneath the Tian Shan
Bishkek is a low-key, tree-lined city laid out on a Soviet grid, with the snow-capped Kyrgyz Ala-Too range filling the southern horizon. Ala-Too Square, the State History Museum and the changing of the guard make a short sightseeing round, and Osh Bazaar is the place to try kumys and buy felt goods. The real draw is what lies outside: Ala-Archa National Park, with glacier-fed valleys and alpine trails, is less than an hour away, and the city is the start of most trips into the Tian Shan.