Riding to the KOKTOBE peak (1,6 km /6 minutes) and enjoying spectacular view in panorama window cabins. KOK- TOBE 1100m hill on the city southeast edge is crowned by a 372m-high TV tower visible from far & wide, and affords great views over the city & the mountains, plus an assortment of attractions at the top. At the top you’ll find YURT (round ) restaurant and panorama city view restaurant, crafts shops, a roller-coaster, a mini-zoo, a children’s playground – and life sized bronze statues of the Four Beatles, placed here on the initiative of local fans in 2007. (The work of Almaty sculptor Eduard Kazaryan, this is claimed to the world’s only monument showing all the Fab Four together. You can sit beside a guitar-strumming John on the bench.)

Is located in Panfilovets’ Park and is probably the only wooden Cathedrals in the world. The cathedral is built without using any nails, which again, makes it pretty unique. The Cathedral was used as a museum after the ‘Revolution’, but was again restored to its original use as a Russian Orthodox Cathedral in 1990. The idea for a cathedral in Almaty was initiated by the bishop of Turkestan and Tashkent and was constructed between1904 and 1907. It was believed that an ‘act of God’ saved the building from the devastation of the 1911 earthquake. The inside of the church is as elaborate as its exterior and is a member of the Russian Orthodox church. If entering the church, visitors should respect the customs of the church as this is a very active religious building. Views from all four sides are different and a walk around is worth doing. On one side is an open area where stalls are laid out for children’s activities and rides.

Panfilovets’ Park is located in central-east Almaty in the area surrounding Zenkov Cathedral. The park is dedicated and named after the Panfilov Heros. The memorial in the park is in memory of the 28 soldiers of an Almaty infantry unit who died fighting the Nazis outside Moscow. Ivan Panfilov was the name of the General commanding the 316 division who, in spite of suffering heavy casualties, managed to significantly delay the enemy’s advance on the capital, buying time for the defenders of the city. An eternal flame commemorating the fallen of 1917-20 (the Civil War) and 1941-45 (WWII), burns in front of the giant black monument of soldiers from all 15 Soviet republics. The Park itself is a very popular local green area within the city of Almaty. A good place to sit, rest and contemplate the sights of the city.