Travel Guide Chatkal National Park

Since tsarist times, this region, easily accessible from Tashkent, has become the holiday resort of the capital's inhabitants. In the winter one comes to rub shoulders with the powder snow, while in the summer one seeks a bit of air. At the turn of the 19th century the rich Russians of Tashkent had their dacha or country houses here. They used to make frequent excursions into the nature. The Soviet regime continued in the same vein, sending its convalescents to get back on their feet and its good students to have a bit of fun in the open air. The tradition has remained and even today the wealthiest Tashkentois come to rest in Tchimgan, Beldersay or on the banks of the Charvaq reservoir. In winter, the ski infrastructure is not very developed, with only a few slopes accessible by chairlift, but the destination remains very popular. The biggest budgets tend to take a helicopter to enjoy the famous powder snow. In the summer, the possibilities for trekking and horse riding have somewhat diminished with the closure of the Pskem valley, which borders Kyrgyzstan, but day or multi-day treks are still possible in the vicinity of Tshimgan.