Guide to Kyrgyzstan
Must See Kyrgyzstan
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Bishkek (formerly Frunze) is the capital and industrial centre of Kyrgyzstan, and the only town in the world named after a wooden plunger - a bishkek is a churn used to make fermented mare's milk. It's a relaxed city of wide streets and handsome houses, though backstreets can be dicey at night.
The city likes to boast that it has more trees per person than any other Central Asian city - which may be true - but when the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, smog from the industrial plants on the city's outskirts can still eat your throat away.
The city's history dates only as far back as 1825, so don't come here looking for architectural splendours or traces of the past - very little predates WWII. Travellers use Bishkek mainly as a jumping-off point for the Tian Shan mountains and Lake Issyk-Kul, and for the overland crossing into China via the Torugart Pass. The 4800m (15,744ft) permanently snowcapped ramparts of the Kyrgyz Alatau range loom over the city, beckoning travellers to move on and explore - who could resist?