Exploring trails in Gorelnyk and Ayusay gorges promises a secure, entertaining, and enlightening hiking experience in the mountains.
In the heart of Kazakhstan's scenic Almaty, a series of visitor centers are being developed as part of a larger project, "Alatau Amanaty," launched by Kazakhstan's Amanat Party in July 2025. The project aims to establish a national trail network with 24 infrastructure sites, including visitor centers, rescue stations, and ethno-cultural venues, to boost mountain tourism.
The Ayusai Gorge visitor center, a key infrastructure node, is set to provide valuable information for those seeking to explore Big Almaty Lake. This center is expected to offer ecological education through signage and interactive experiences tied to the natural environment.
These visitor centers serve multiple purposes, as noted by Rashida Shakenova, the Director of the Kazakh Tourism Organization. They not only offer communication with visitors but also play a significant role in education.
Facilities at these centers typically include educational materials, support services such as rescue operations, and amenities like food points, sanitation facilities, summer terraces, and free Wi-Fi. The centers are designed to create civilized conditions for tourists, ensuring they have a safe and enjoyable experience.
The development of these visitor centers is part of a broader approach to balance tourism development with ecological protection. Activities like the launch day plogging (mountain clean-up) event demonstrate a commitment to preserving the natural environment.
Bakytzhan Sagintayev, the Mayor of Almaty, has been a driving force behind this initiative. He has previously spoken about digitizing thousands of kilometers of mountain trails and intends to open visitor centers in Ayusai Gorge and the Gorge of Gorge.
Sagintayev also emphasizes the importance of making hikes engaging and educational. He believes these visitor centers will help make the mountains more accessible to ordinary tourists, city dwellers, and nature enthusiasts.
Volunteers and professional climbers from the "Tamyr" wild nature survival school conduct free ecological lessons for tourists, further enhancing the educational aspect of these visitor centers.
The development of these visitor centers is a modern, international trend, as noted by Rashida Shakenova. The centers not only provide practical assistance but also serve as a platform for promoting ecological awareness and responsible tourism.
With these visitor centers, tourists can expect enhanced guidance, safer access routes, and learning opportunities about the local ecosystems and culture. This infrastructure supports Almaty as a gateway to mountain tourism, contributing to local economic development and safety in high-altitude locations.
In addition, Sagintayev plans to improve 500 kilometers of mountain trails for safety. Tourists will receive information about routes and be educated on safety and environmental conservation principles. The visitor center in the mountains, as noted by Maksut Jumayev, can potentially save lives due to more people knowing the area and having communication.
The Mayor of Almaty, Bakytzhan Sagintayev, also has an Instagram account, providing an accessible platform for updates and announcements about the project. The announcements about these visitor centers were reported by Almaty.tv.
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- The establishment of visitor centers in Almaty, Kazakhstan, through the Alatau Amanaty project, will not only offer practical assistance and communication with visitors but also play a crucial role in promoting ecological awareness and responsible outdoor-living, such as at the Ayusai Gorge visitor center.
- The visitor centers will provide a wide range of amenities for tourists, including educational materials, support services, food points, sanitation facilities, summer terraces, and free Wi-Fi, ensuring a safe and enjoyable home-and-garden experience in the heart of nature.
- As part of the broader approach to balance tourism development with ecological protection, the visitor centers will also offer interactive experiences, ecological lessons, and safety education about mountain trails, making sports and travel in the mountains more accessible and engaging for nature enthusiasts and city dwellers alike.
