The eastern half of Nurzhol bulvar starts with this plaza, which springs to life with music-and-water shows at 9pm on summer evenings. Further east stand twin golden-green, conical business centres: the southern one contains the headquarters of Samryk-Kazyna, Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund. Curving away left and right from these towers are the two wings of the House of Ministries, flanked by the Senate and Mazhilis, the towers of parliament. Straight ahead stands the white-pillared presidential palace, the Ak Orda.
Ploshchad Poyushchykh Fontanov
Nur-Sultan (Astana)
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan
1.56 MILES
This huge blue-glass-and-white-marble museum covers the history and culture of Kazakhstan from ancient to modern times. Themed halls comprise interactive…
1.36 MILES
Nur-Sultan's most extraordinary building (so far), the Khan Shatyr is a 150m-high, translucent, tentlike structure made of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene …
Palace of Peace & Reconciliation
1.26 MILES
This beautiful glass-and-steel pyramid was opened in 2006 as the home for the triennial Congress of World and Traditional Religions, hosted by Kazakhstan…
0.22 MILES
Nurzhol bulvar's centrepiece is this 97m-high monument, a white latticed tower crowned by a large glass orb. This embodies a Kazakh legend in which the…
ALZhIR Museum-Memorial Complex
28.14 MILES
During the Stalin years, Akmol, 35km west of Nur-Sultan, housed ALZhIR, a notorious camp for wives and children of men who were interned elsewhere as …
1.96 MILES
The yurt-shaped museum showcases beautifully presented exhibitions on weaponry and warfare, with striking murals greeting visitors. On the ground floor,…
4.46 MILES
This rare relic of the 1950s may be gone in a few years' time, banished by the relentless wrecking ball, but for now you can see this enormous, decaying…
Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
2.8 MILES
Inside the former presidential palace, a succession of lavish galleries display gifts to President Nazarbayev from foreign governments and grateful…
Nearby Nur-Sultan (Astana) attractions
1. House of Ministries – Northern Wing
0.21 MILES
This curved golden building, along with its southern twin, have been dubbed the 'Beer Cans' by locals.
0.22 MILES
Nurzhol bulvar's centrepiece is this 97m-high monument, a white latticed tower crowned by a large glass orb. This embodies a Kazakh legend in which the…
4. House of Ministries – Southern Wing
0.24 MILES
This curved golden building, along with its northern twin, have been dubbed the 'Beer Cans' by locals.
0.33 MILES
The egg-domed National Archive stands just west of the Bayterek Monument.
0.49 MILES
Grandiose building that houses the offices of the president of Kazakhstan. You can only admire it from the outside.