Places NixOfNowhere Wants to Go

Tucked away along a riverbend in an area known for its uranium mines is one of the world's tallest locks.

A statue of traditional Kazakh dancers adds some beauty to this Soviet-era mining city.

At 72 feet below sea level, it's the lowest commercial airport in the world.

Stelae-eyed stones greet visitors to a corner of Kirov Park.

This Soviet-era athletic and recreation facility is the highest ice skating rink in the world.

This small canyon is home to a treasure trove of geological oddities.

Local lore says this 700-year-old tree has sacred and medicinal properties.

An abandoned Soviet-era park that, when viewed from the air, looks like a pentagram.

A Stalinist prison camp for the wives and children of men accused of betraying the Soviet state is now a memorial museum.

A collection of Lenin busts and other Soviet Era statues sit idly behind the Semipalatinsk Hotel.

This was once the largest city in Kazakhstan, and a major stop on the Silk Road.

A modern tower, symbolizing the legend of a golden egg on top of the tree of life.

Avenue of trees planted by cosmonauts before their space departures.

The remains of a monument in the remote Kazakhstani desert dedicated to the only men to die in outer space, the crew of the Soyuz 11 rocket.

An entertainment center in a huge transparent tent.

Nicknamed Kazakhstan's Grand Canyon, this natural wonder lies east of Almaty near the Chinese border.

One of the most horrible legacies of the Cold War is a site where the Soviet Union tested nuclear bombs on civilians.

In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.

This sprawling market is a one-stop shop for traditional Kazakh foods, from mare’s milk to sheep’s head.

Iconic pyramid from famed British architect Norman Foster designed to represent all of the world's religious faiths.

Mysterious spherical rocks in the semi-desert of western Kazakhstan.

A brilliant turquoise lake in the mountains.

The lovely lake that was naturally dammed, then naturally destroyed, then unnaturally saved.

An abandoned Soviet-era mining town in the mountains of South Kazakhstan.