Charvak & Chimgan (Bostanlyk District)

A first look

This is where Tashkent goes at the weekend. The Bostanlyk district north-east of the capital holds a large turquoise reservoir, a ski resort, a serious mountain range and a great many places to eat beside a river — all of it close enough to the city to reach and return in a day.

It is the least Silk Road part of Uzbekistan and one of the most useful. After a run of desert cities, a day in the mountains resets a trip; and for anyone visiting the country in winter, this is the only place where the season is an advantage rather than a compromise.

What to see

The mountains behind the capital

The Chatkal and Ugam ranges rise sharply on the north-eastern edge of the Tashkent region, and the change is abrupt: irrigated plain, then foothills, then real mountains with snow on them for much of the year. The road climbs through orchards and villages and reaches the reservoir with a view that most people stop for whether they meant to or not.

The district has been the capital’s holiday country for generations, so it is well supplied with places to stay and eat, and it is busy at weekends and holidays. Come on a weekday and the same roads are quiet.

The reservoir

Charvak is a dammed lake in a bowl of mountains, and the colour is what people photograph — a strong turquoise that comes from glacial silt and changes with the light and the season. In summer the shores are lined with beaches, boat hire and swimming, and the water is warm enough to be pleasant.

Paragliding runs from the ridges above, there is water skiing and jet skiing at the developed end, and there are quiet coves further round for anyone who wants the view without the noise. The level rises and falls through the year, which changes the shoreline noticeably between spring and autumn.

A word about the water itself. Charvak is a mountain reservoir: cold well into summer, deeper than it looks, and subject to a wind that gets up in the afternoon. The developed beaches have supervision and the rest of the shore has none. Swimming here is not the same proposition as swimming in a sea, and the local advice — stay near the shore, watch the wind, do not go out alone — is worth taking seriously.

The village of Bogiston and the roads round the far side are the quieter half of the district. Fewer people go that way, the views back across the water towards the Chimgan massif are the best available anywhere here, and the roadside kitchens are cheaper and better than the ones at the busy end. With a car, drive the full circuit rather than stopping at the first viewpoint.

Winter on the slopes

Amirsoy is the modern resort: gondola, chairlifts, groomed pistes and rental equipment to a European standard, built to draw skiers who would otherwise leave the region. There is a smaller, older ski area at Chimgan itself with a different character and a longer history.

The season is a winter one and conditions vary from year to year, which is normal for a range at this latitude. Both areas run their lifts in summer as well, for the view and for access to walking, which is the more common reason foreign visitors ride them.

Walking in the range

Greater Chimgan is the peak that dominates the skyline, and it is climbed regularly, though the route is a mountaineering one rather than a stroll and should be treated as such. Below it there is a great deal of easier walking: ridge paths with long views, valleys with streams, and gorges that hold snow into early summer.

The Teshik-Tash area has rock formations and old carvings on the stone, and the walk to reach them is short. For anyone who wants a mountain day without commitment, the lift at Amirsoy plus a couple of hours on the ridge is the efficient version.

Seasons

This district is genuinely all-season, which almost nothing else in the country is. Spring brings meltwater, wildflowers and green slopes, and it is the best time to walk. Summer is when the reservoir works, and the mountains are the cool alternative to Tashkent baking below.

Autumn is clear and quiet, with the trees turning and the crowds gone. Winter brings snow and the ski season, and the drive up can require care in bad weather. There is no dead period here, only different reasons to come.

Where it fits in a route

This is the standard day trip from Tashkent and the easiest excursion in the country to arrange. It also works as an overnight, which is the better version: staying up here means seeing the lake early, before the day traffic arrives from the city.

For travellers with a spare day at the start or end of a trip, this is the most useful thing to do with it. It also pairs naturally with the Ugam-Chatkal park further in, and with Parkent on the way back, if the plan is to spend two days in the mountains rather than one.