00:00.
00:02Drive for three hours to the north from Kazakhstan's capital Astana
00:06and the big island of forested mountains will suddenly emerge from the flat steppe
00:10as if an invisible hand of nature wanted to disturb the monotony of the endless sea of grass.
00:15When you enter the forest you are in Burabai State National Natural Park.
00:20The place of such beauty that even in freezing winter months
00:23it attracts people from Kazakhstan and beyond.
00:26Join me in the episode of the Modern Nomads
00:28in which we will try not only to brave the harsh steppe winter
00:31but to enjoy it as we explore the place where Astana, the Kazakhstan capital, comes to have rest.
00:41It is known as Burabai in Kazakh language or Borovoy in Russian
00:44but more and more frequently they call it Kazakhstan's Switzerland
00:47for its stunning pine forests, 14 crystal clear lakes and rocky mountains.
00:53For decades the park has been a relaxing retreat from the hustle and bustle of cities,
00:57mainly capital Astana.
01:02The city of Burabai State National Park
01:04The city of Burabai State National Park
01:05The city of Burabai State National Park
01:28The winter season here provides an enchanting experience despite the snowy and frosty weather
01:33with temperatures occasionally dropping to minus 40 degrees Celsius.
01:37For much of the winter the lakes of Burabai are frozen solid,
01:40providing opportunities for all kinds of winter adventure.
01:42We witnessed a race on a frozen lake.
01:45People, the riders, love to see interesting and unusual tracks,
01:48how they walk through different cities and streets,
01:51and through the mountains you can only walk through the sea.
01:53And thank you for that the cold weather
01:55allows us to improve our winter, improve its feelings,
01:59and improve our sprint training with such a cool start.
02:03More than 700 people from 15 countries ran and did Nordic walking.
02:08It was my first race ever and I thought if not, let's do it extreme.
02:15And yeah, I'm surprised that I didn't give up.
02:19We were here as tourists and we were like let's go to Burabai, Burabai and see a little bit of
02:25the country.
02:27So maybe we'll come back here in the summer to swim in the lake.
02:38For those who are not keen runners, there are possibilities for ice skating,
02:42ice fishing and horse, reindeer or dog-drawn sleigh rides on the frozen lake.
02:46Or the rides that do not include animal labour.
02:57You can have a peaceful, tranquil vacation here or an adventurous one.
03:02It's really up to you.
03:04If you're not an adventurous type or are not at the peak of physical fitness,
03:08you can take a walk in the woods, bathe in the winter sun
03:11or simply relive the childhood days when no one is watching.
03:15Or visit a small bazaar with locally made souvenirs.
03:20Burabai's stunning landscape was an inspiration for many works of Kazakh art as well as photographs.
03:26For instance, the cliff where legend says a captured girl once stood holding a handkerchief promising her hand
03:32to a Kazakh warrior who could hit the handkerchief with an arrow.
03:36Millions of photos were taken from the seven observation points in Burabai
03:40and this is generally believed to be one of the most photogenic and most photographed places in the country.
03:47The park is included in the UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
03:51But winter may not be the best of times to see the representatives of 300 animal species living there.
03:57However, you can visit a nearby deer farm as more and more farms combine agriculture and tourism
04:03and offer accommodation and meals.
04:05For tourists, you can come here to see our 50-year-old birds.
04:09There are also squirrels,
04:12phasans.
04:13There are panta treatment,
04:15where you can take wands,
04:17wands,
04:18wands,
04:18turning the muscles,
04:19all to increase the immune system.
04:21People breathe fresh air.
04:24The most important thing here is clean,
04:25zero air.
04:33After a hard day's activity,
04:35local restaurants will offer a wide variety of food,
04:38both traditional and international.
04:40And not only food, but a place to have rest,
04:43process the experience of the day and recuperate for the next one.
04:46Spring and summer will completely transform this place.
04:50There will be different things to see and other things to do.
04:53I'll see you then at exactly the same spot.
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