Almaty

Although it was once the capital of Kazakhstan, when it gained independence from Soviet Russia back in 1991, it still remains the major commercial and cultural center of the nation. Almaty lost its crown to Astana in 1997. The city has developed in recent years, that it won\'t be hard to find many international brands lining the streets. So much so, you might be mistaken you were traversing the roads in Europe. Add to that the snow peaked mountains surrounding the city, the central Asian sense of Almaty is pretty much lost.