Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan, set against a backdrop of beautiful snowcapped mountains, Almaty is built on a slope via which travellers can easily navigate the city (north is down the hill). The landscape makes this city an excellent one in terms of sports and nature— many hiking trails exist, and snowboarding/skiing is a must-do in winters.Sites include the famous Charyn Canyon, the Ascension Cathedral, the Medeo ice-skating stadium and the Green Market for a variety of foods and crafts. Astana is making a bid to be not only the capital of the country but of Central Asia at large. Owing to this, Astana boasts of a strange melange of architecture with old Soviet buildings as well as futuristic creations by foreign celebrity architects. Astana is a planned city, designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. In terms of population, it’s relatively small for a capital with just under a million inhabitants.