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A new pedestrian trail is set to be constructed, leading to the picturesque Big Almaty Lake, a popular tourist destination near Almaty. The project aims to boost tourism and is slated for completion by the end of 2026.

Boosting Tourism with a New Route

The initiative involves the creation of a 5.3-kilometer tourist route. Bauyrzhan Kudaibergenov, head of the Almaty City Economy and Finance Department, announced during a maslikhat session that 665 million tenge has been allocated from the budget for this new pathway. The primary goal is to increase the lake's appeal to visitors.

Past Improvements and Future Plans

Previous efforts to improve access to the area have been ongoing. In the summer of 2025, Almaty Mayor Yerbolat Dosayev inspected work along the route to the "Alma-Arasan" radon spring. Plans at that time included reinforcing mountain slopes, renovating bridges, and installing stairs and observation decks. A project to enhance roads leading to Big Almaty Lake was also presented to the mayor.

Addressing Access Challenges and Environmental Concerns

Access to Big Almaty Lake has been a recurring topic of discussion in Almaty in recent years. From 2019 to 2023, private vehicle access was restricted due to the construction and repair of mudflow protection dams. Visitors could only reach the lake on foot or via eco-buses.

A controversy arose in August 2023 when reports surfaced of taxi drivers charging tourists exorbitant fees, ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 tenge, for trips to the lake. Following this, the road to the lake was reopened to private vehicles. However, this led to a sharp increase in visitor numbers and exacerbated waste management issues, with 4,200 kilograms of garbage removed from the lake area within a few weeks.

Consequently, the road to the lake was closed again at the end of September 2023. Currently, residents and tourists must access the lake by foot or bicycle.

This development is reported by the Infohub.kz information agency.