Ust-Kamenogorsk (Oskemen), located on the eastern part of Kazakhstan, has diverse and beautiful nature. You will witness picturesque mountains, forests, steppe and rivers. WE have made city travel guide to make your visit unbelievably fantastic.
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TRANSPORT
First of all, let’s look at how you can travel within the city. The city center is Akimat (Administrative building) and Respublika square is located near to Akimat. Respublica square is the place where you can see recently built huge fountains. To get in there, you can get on any of the following buses: 2, 12, 39, 53, 53A, 54, 60.
The most popular form of public transport is tram although its share in total traffic is less than the bus. You can certainly and surely use taxi if you want to save some of your time. The average taxi fare fluctuates between 400 to 700 KZT. The airport is close to the city right after the train station.
There is a curfew in Ust-Kamenogorsk, i.e. young people under 18 years old are restricted to walk around the city at night, and also we have to warn you that the light in the whole city turns off from 01:00 in the morning.
ACCOMODATION
Hotels:
“Dedeman Oskemen Tavros Hotel”
Price: standard room — from 30 000 KZT
Junior — from 37 200 KZT
Luxe — from 69 600 KZT
Apartment —from 72 000 KZT
President — from 180 000 KZT
Address: 11/1, Permitin st.
Contacts: 8 7232 208 208, 208 205
Hotel “Irtysh”
Every room comes with a TV with cable channels. Certain accommodations include a sitting area for your convenience. Certain rooms have views of the mountains or city.
Price: standard single — 10 000 KZT
Luxe — from 13 000 KZT
Super luxe — from 20 000 KZT
Address: 22, Auezov ave.
Contacts: 8 7232 252 933, 250 985
Hostels:
“Svetlyachok” (“Firefly”)
Price: room —3500 KZT, bed — 1500 KZT
Address: 2, Griboyedov st.
Contacts: 8 7232 784 777, 8 705 508 90 70
“Hostel#1”
Price:
Address: 3, Karsin st.
Contacts: 8 705 465 51 99
FOOD
Generally, food prices are not very high in this city. If you ask any city resident about a place to go and grab something to eat, they’ll tell you to try one of the most delicious doners at “Doner” and pizza at the popular pizza house “Pizza Blues” or at “Dodo pizza”. It’s interesting that doners in Ust-Kamenogorsk are wrapped in bread rolls and look like burgers.
If you want to buy fresh and natural products such as fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat products, you can always visit the Fresh Market”.
If you are thinking to eat in one of the franchises operated by Burger King or KFC, we are afraid to tell you that these fast food chains have no outlets in this city as the population finds it unnecessary, because local cafes and restaurants are in a very high level.
“Doner” café
Address: 49, Kikova st.
Average check: 1000 KZT
Working hours: MO-SU 09:00 — 22:00
Contacts: 8 7232 240 535
“Pizza Blues” pizza house
Address: 56, Maxim Gorkiy st.
Working hours: MO-SU 09:00 — 23:00
Contacts: 8 7232 248 167, 244 514
“Dodo pizza”
Address: 6/1, Dzerzhinskiy st.
Average check: 2500 KZT
Working hours: MO-SU 10:00 — 00:00
Contacts: 8 7232 534 001, 8 776 449 21 11
“Fresh market”
Address: 84, Satpayev ave.
Working hours: MO-SU 09:00 — 21:00
ENTERTAINMENT
WE are sure that a little bit of history will certainly entertain you. The city was established by Russian Emperor Peter the Great who sent a military expedition in the search of Yarkenda gold. Ivan Vasilievich Likharev, the head of the expedition, laid the new fortress on the southern end of the Irtish River.
There are lots of parks in the city and these parks have plenty of trees and plants to produce fresh oxygen. However, the air is bit polluted because there are many factories working inside of the city. Sometimes, you may feel some difficulty in breathing. Locals have tried to solve this problem and have come out with a solution. Now, the people who run factory have to plant several trees and the number of which depends on the number of the population.
If you are fond of the view of the nature, you’ll find a great place in Ust-Kamenogorsk. Every citizen advises you to go to the mountain called “Kazakhstan” where you can see and take several photos of a huge sign “Kazakhstan” which is similar with “Hollywood” located in Los Angeles, California.
We recommend you to add “Bukhtarma Reservoir” to your “To do list”. The reservoir is located in 80-150 [RD2] km from the city. The reservoir was the second biggest reservoir worldwide during the USSR and is spread in a beautiful area. While going to the Bukhtarma Reservoir, you’ll face narrow, curvy serpentine road. That’s why we advise you to be extremely careful and not to exceed 30 km/h.
There are many small rivers and lakes near Ust-Kamenogorsk, where you can go swimming and some of them have healing properties. For example, you can swim in Margancevo River (“Manganic River”) — a pink colored river — but be careful not to swim more than five minutes and to keep your head above. You have to go to one peculiar place in this region and that is a lake inside the cave on the road to Semipalatinsk. You will see not just a simple stone here but the stone located right in the center of Central Asia.
Other place where you will feel welcomed is Tainty Lake. The white desert and blue water make you feel as if you are on the Caribbean Islands.
You will also be able to enjoy winter sports in the mountains near the city. The mountains are Altay Alps and Knyazhniye Gori — popular places for snowboarding and skating.
If you like going to cinemas, there are three main cinemas: Yubileiniy, Echo located near the Central House of Culture, and the third one is Hollywood. Instead, if you want to go to theaters, you can head to Drama Theater which looks like Coliseum and is located between the factory of silk pattern and the city. The factory is located near the city and has become part of the city when the necessary facilities were built for the workers.
The city also boasts of museums built in the parks and it’s convenient to visit them.
The last and definitely not the least place to visit is the embankment near Irtish River. Near the embankments, you will have a chance to see and remember the sacrifices made by soldiers as in front of you; there stand monuments dedicated to the soldiers and the Afghan warriors.
Do visit this historic city and let us know how you enjoyed your trip.
“Metallurg” Park
You can go to the park from the city Akimat by buses №10, 54
“Art Museum”
Address: 56, Tokhtarov st.
Entrance: kids —155 KZT, students — 160 KZT, adults — 210 KZT
Working hours: MO-TH 09:00 — 18:00, FR-SU 09:00 —17:00
Contacts: 8 72332 264 442, 265 263, 261 981
“Yubileiniy” cinema
Address: 29, Kazakhstan st.
Contacts: 8 7232 262 683
“Echo” cinema
Address: 54, Kirov st.
Working hours: MO-SU 11:00 — 22:00
Contacts: 8 7232 243 460
“Hollywood” cinema
Address: 43, Protozanov st.
Working hours: MO-FR 12:00 — 00:00, SA-SU 10:00 — 00:00
Contacts: 8 7232 700 000, 8 705 496 16 34
“Drama Theater”
Address: 82a, Satpayev ave.
Working hours: WE-SU 12:00 — 18:00
Contacts: 8 7232 616 012, 710 079
