Travel Guide Barskoon

Barskoon has never had any other reason to exist than to be on the southern shore of the lake a relay post, first for the caravans on the Silk Road, then for the Soviet army. After the departure of the Russian garrisons, the city, without any particular vocation or wealth, vegatted for a long time while its inhabitants resumed the habit of travelling on horseback rather than by car and of nomadising in the mountains south of the lake. With the rise of tourism, a small natural wealth has allowed the town to bounce back. About 20 kilometres to the south are the Barskoon waterfalls, a waterfall accessible after 1 to 2 hours of hiking which has become a favourite walking destination for the Kyrgyz. The organization of horse races, the presence of a yurt making workshop and the proximity of farms still practising falcon hunting has allowed tourist activities to develop and Barskoon has thus become a pleasant stopover on the road between Karakol and Kochkor or Naryn. From a cultural point of view, you will learn on the spot that the country's most famous child is Mahmud al-Kashgari, also known as al-Barskani, a Uygur from Kashgar, whose father was the mayor of Barskoon, and who in 1074 completed the first comparative dictionary of Turkish languages. Apart from the bazaar activity, Barskoon is otherwise a peaceful village. The sculpted bust of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, who came after his flight around the Earth to rest on the banks of the Issyk Kul, stands in front of the beach and is a nice little walking goal if you don't have the time (or the courage) to go to the waterfalls.