The World's Highest Ice Skating Rink Is Hidden In The Mountains Of A Central Asian Country

The first thing you'll notice about the Medeu Alpine Ice Rink is that it's gigantic. Located in the mountains near Almaty, a city in southeastern Kazakhstan, Medeu is the highest-elevation rink in the world. The icy surface covers about 113,000 square feet, or about two regulation NFL football fields. During hockey games and figure skating competitions, the stands can seat 8,100 people and the on-site buffet can serve 500 diners at a time. The ice itself is 7.5-feet-thick and created mostly from glacial water sources, which is said to generate soft, graceful surfaces. The original structure required 1,300 laborers to build, plus hundreds more when it was renovated in the 1980s and early 2000s.

But the size isn't what makes this complex so famous; after all, the largest rinks in the world are in Canada. Rather, Medeu is best known as the highest ice rink in the world, standing at about 5,548 feet above sea level. Nestled in the Zailiyskiy Alatau mountains, Medeu is both a training ground for professional athletes and a community touchstone, where families can make figure-eights and children can try on ice skates for the first time. Visitors can skate as casually as they like, while also knowing that a full 120 world records were broken here.

Unlike so many rinks, Medeu has an open-air design, which is great in Almaty, where the average January temperature is 29°F. The original venue was basically a landscaped pond with a few bleachers lining the perimeter, and still, athletes set two world records in 1951. The more official Medeu Ice Rink was built in 1972, when Kazakhstan was an important member of the USSR; the concrete architecture and minimalist logo of two athletes speed-skating toward a snowflake still project a distinctly Soviet aesthetic. The arena has held numerous international competitions over the years, including in 2011 when the freshly restored facility hosted the Asian Games.

The name "Medeu" also holds special significance in Kazakhstani history: A little over a century ago, a hermit named Medeu (or "Medeo") came to the area and founded a peasant community, known as a "volost." He is considered the region's first pioneer, and the rink is named in his honor. With its little-known lore and spectacular mountain scenery, Almaty could easily be added to a list of underrated tourist destinations in Asia.

The mountains around Medeu are webbed with hiking trails, and the Shymbulak Ski Resort next door boasts about 12 miles of runs, with both gondolas and chairlifts to take you up the slopes. This area is beloved for its winter sports, and the impressive views can be enjoyed year-round.

Medeu is about a 40-minute drive outside of Almaty, where Kazakhstan's largest international airport is also located. The city is famous for its proximity to snow-capped mountains as well as the colorful Ascension Cathedral. Most tourists arrive in Almaty in order to explore the vast steppes and mountains of Kazakhstan, and U.S. citizens can stay in the country visa-free for up to 30 days. 

While many Westerners think only of "Borat," Kazakhstan is a massive Central Asian nation with vast outdoor spaces to explore. Almaty is also located close to the border with Kyrgyzstan, a nation that has exploded in popularity. Once you've finished with Almaty, see why this southern neighbor is an adventurous traveler's paradise.