Travel and recreation on the lakes of Zhetysu region -
Fishing on Lake Zhalanashkol in Kazakhstan -
Lake Zhalanashkol is one of the most mysterious and picturesque lakes of Zhetysu, located on the eastern outskirts of Zhetysu region, on the border with China, surrounded by the mountain ranges of the Dzhungarian Alatau. Its name is translated as "bare lake", and it really justifies this name: there is almost no dense vegetation around, the banks are open, and the water seems to lie in a stone bowl among the steppe expanses and mountain slopes. The lake is part of the Alakol State Nature Reserve. The length of the lake is 8.6 kilometers, the width is 6 kilometers, the maximum depth is 3.5 meters. The lake is famous for the fact that the mud of the lake is enriched with various minerals and is healing. There are two types of mud on the lake, the first is black mud, which helps in the treatment of joints and bones. The second, gray mud is intended for the treatment of skin diseases. The water in the lake is also filled with minerals such as sodium, magnesium, calcium. There is a legend that Lake Zhalanashkol is a "women's lake" because it has the best effect on the female body. Near the lake is the famous Lake Alakol, which is considered a "men's lake".
How to get there and visit -
Lake Zhalanashkol is located 660 kilometers from the city of Almaty, 391 kilometers from the city of Taldykorgan, 4.5 kilometers from the Zhalanashkol railway station, next to Lake Alakol, Zhetysu region, Abay region, Republic of Kazakhstan.
GPS coordinates: 45°33'56"N 82°09'17"E
Information -
The shores of Lake Zhalanashkol are mainly pebbly and sandy, here and there there are areas with reeds. Here you can meet rare birds that find shelter near the water. Sunrises and sunsets are especially picturesque: at these hours the lake is painted in golden and pink shades, creating an almost unreal picture. The nature around is harsh and at the same time fascinating. The lake is located at an altitude of more than 1000 meters above sea level, the climate here is sharply continental: it is hot and dry in summer, and in winter the frosts can be very strong. In the mountains nearby you can find alpine meadows and rare coniferous groves.
Zhalanashkol is also famous for its history. In 1969, an armed conflict between Soviet and Chinese border guards took place here, which went down in history as the "battle at Lake Zhalanashkol". On its shores you can still find memorial signs and obelisks reminiscent of those events.
Today, Lake Zhalanashkol is a place where lovers of solitude, silence and pristine nature come. People come here to take mud baths and improve their health. It has not yet become a mass tourist destination, and this is its special charm: here you can enjoy the vastness, the grandeur of the mountains and the crystal water far from the noise and civilization. Those who get here are rewarded with views of incredible purity and silence, broken only by the cry of eagles or the rustle of the wind on the water. This is a place where time stands still and nature reminds us of its primordial power.
