Zaamin National Park

History

Among the first scientists to study the Zomin mountains were the naturalist Alexei Fedchenko and his wife, the botanist Olga Fedchenko, in the 1860s; in 1916 Olga Knorring published the first description of the local flora. In 1926 the 8,500-hectare Guralash reserve was created here, one of the oldest protected areas in Uzbekistan. The present park was set up in 1976 as a winter sports and health resort, renamed the People's Park of Uzbekistan in 1978 and has been Zaamin National Park since 1993.

The park lies mostly on the Turkestan Range and partly in the Malguzar mountains, from 1,000 metres to over 4,000 metres above sea level. It covers 24,100 hectares and in the south-west merges with the Zaamin State Nature Reserve into a single natural massif. The catchments of the Zominsuv and Sanzar rivers begin here.

Nature

Juniper forests between 2,000 and 3,000 metres cover about 55 per cent of the park. Three species grow here, Zeravshan, semi-globular and Turkestan juniper, and some trees are more than 400 years old. In spring the slopes are carpeted with tulips and ephemeral flowers; in autumn the birches and shrubs turn gold. More than 30 medicinal plant species have been recorded.

The wildlife is just as rich: the white-clawed Tian Shan bear, Turkestan lynx, Siberian ibex and wild boar, while birds include the black stork, golden eagle and bearded vulture, with the chukar partridge the most common of all. Many of these species are in Uzbekistan's Red Book.

Things to do

One of the best-known sights is the Chortangi gorge, 500 metres wide and up to 450 metres deep, with a waterfall at the bottom. The park has hiking trails, horse-riding routes and good birdwatching spots, and experienced climbers use it as a base for the peaks of Shaukartau and Tokalichuk.

On the park's edge stand the Soviet-era Zaamin sanatorium and the new Zomin tourist and recreation zone, with hotels, a 2,102-metre cable car and a suspension bridge, which make a convenient base for overnight stays and day trips into the park.

Getting there

The nearest railway station is Dashtobod, 20 km north of Zomin town; trains from Tashkent and Samarkand run via Jizzakh. From the town a mountain road climbs to the park and the tourist zone, best tackled by taxi or tour transport. It is steep and winding in places and can be icy in winter, so an experienced driver is a good idea.

Did you know?

Cool summers and clean air have earned Zaamin the nickname 'Uzbek Switzerland'. In 2024 the 'Zomin Mountains', comprising the national park and the nature reserve, were added to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List.