Turgen gorge – Waterfalls

Turgen waterfalls. You can hardly imagine a more picturesque place! Here, you will find the places of interest, as they say, to suit every taste. Turgen Clove is located in the vicinity of Esik town (in about 12 kilometers). It is 70 kilometers far from Almaty. The clove is impressively long, it is 44 kilometers to the huge Assa plateau. The main attraction of Turgen is its seven waterfalls.

800 meters away from the eco-post, you will see two iconic objects: the Kielі-Bylak spring and the Golden Man statue. There is a legend about the waters of this spring – they say that it makes people younger. As far as the monument is concerned, it is dedicated to a Scythian warrior. It is 8 meters high. The remains of the Golden Warrior were discovered on the Issyk river bank. The memorial tablet says that the Scythian warrior lived here as far back as in the fourth century BC.

If you drive another three kilometers, you will see a trout farm, which is always crowded with tourists. You can do a bit of fishing on your own by renting fishing gear. Moreover, you can have the caught trout cooked in a neighboring cafe, where you can also order various dishes and refresh yourself.

Medvezhiy (bear) waterfall. This attraction is situated 12 kilometers away from the eco-post. A trail to this magnificent waterfall begins behind one of concrete bridges. Here is also the place where an extremely popular Ak Bulak cafe is located. The path to the waterfall is an easy one. However, it is recommended to wear hard-sole shoes, since there are stony areas along the way. The unique Medvezhiy waterfall is 1,559 meters high above the sea level. The natural site itself is about 30 meters high.

Kairak waterfall. It is believed to be the highest in Turgen Clove. The natural site is located eight kilometers away from a small Batan village. Please note you won’t be able to drive to the waterfall from it. The problem is that the bridge over the river was destroyed by a strong flood in 2004. Kairak waterfall is 56 meters high. It is streaming down from a rocky surface, passing three cascades at once. At the second cascade, the water full of energy has even managed to cut a tunnel right through the rock. If you put the waterfall into perspective, the contrast will immediately catch your eye: dark majestic cliffs and snow-white wild water. Next to the site, there are special wooden and metal bridges, from which you can watch the waterfall. From here, a beautiful view will unfold before your eyes.

In ancient times, caravans from China and India heading to the west to Europe passed through Turgen clove and Assy plateau, which were a part of the Great Silk Road. Turgen clove is famous for its waterfalls and relict Chin-Turgen moss fir groves, with seats of permanently frozen soil being preserved deep within them, left by the last ice age.

You can visit the waterfalls year-round. In May and June, you should beware of ticks. If you visit the place from April to September, you should take a sun screen besides warm clothes. Recently, in the summer snakes can be found on the path to Kairak waterfall.

This territory provides an opportunity to take bike rides and car trips of various of complexity grades. Moreover, you will be able to take great pictures of the natural beauty. For example, a marsh zone is located a little above Kairak waterfall, smoothly merging into alpine meadows separated by a belt of subalpine meadows. Here, you can see natural relics of the ancient era and take photos of them.