Occupying an archetypal 1887 Russian house, this museum has a few Scythian bronze artefacts, local tools and musical instruments. Taxidermists' victims share a room with exhibits celebrating the Kumtor Gold Mine. Little is in English except for the remarkable section exhibiting the photography of Swiss explorer Ella Maillart, who came this way in 1932.
Karakol History Museum
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
14.04 MILES
The two-day trek to stunning Ala-Köl is for many visitors a highlight of the entire Kyrgyzstan experience. Though less than 1.5 km², the range of massive…
4.57 MILES
Hike the hour or two up from the village of Jolgolot (a suburb of Karakol) to take in stunning views of the city and Issyk-Köl to the north and the…
1.51 MILES
Early on Sunday mornings one of Kyrgyzstan's biggest animal markets takes place around 2km north of central Karakol. Typical of such markets, you'll…
13.43 MILES
One of Kyrgyzstan's most photographed natural features, the Seven Bulls (Jeti-Ögüz) is an abrupt serrated ridge of ferric-red sandstone cliffs that have…
6.74 MILES
The main attraction of the shrine-like Przhevalsky memorial garden is a small, well-presented museum dedicated to Nikolai Przhevalsky, the Russian…
0.19 MILES
Set peacefully amid trees, this hefty wooden structure is topped with green-roofed towers and almost-golden onion domes. The 1872 stone original was…
0.88 MILES
In addition to the standard monument of Victory on a plinth, memorialising the end of WWII, Karakol's Victory Park also includes an interesting monument…
24.14 MILES
Though small, the craggy mountains that back these two high-altitude lakes make for an impressive scene; as does the long look back down from their shelf…
Nearby attractions
0.14 MILES
Attractive historic building just opposite the cathedral, worth a look though they don't welcome tourists wandering in.
0.19 MILES
Set peacefully amid trees, this hefty wooden structure is topped with green-roofed towers and almost-golden onion domes. The 1872 stone original was…
0.21 MILES
Local hero Tagay-biy, renown as a great warrior who lead the Kyrgyz to victory during the 16th invasion of Kalmyk tribes, is memorialised in statue form…
0.31 MILES
This two-storey home with an ornate balcony is one of the most attractive historic structures in town, but sadly isn't open to the public.
0.48 MILES
Keep an eye out for the small statue of Lenin along Gebze, overlooking the university.
0.51 MILES
A tip-tilted triple roof, carved-layered eaves and wooden exterior pillars give this colourful 1910 mosque the look of a Chinese Buddhist temple…
0.59 MILES
This historic building still serves as the office of the local Radio and TV company, which is not open to the public.
0.83 MILES
Developed under the initiative of the Destination Karakol public association, this area of nicely maintained land alongside the Karakol River has benches,…