Karakol sits plush in an arena of mountains in the depths of north-eastern Kyrgyzstan. Around it, a wall of high summits, dusted with snow and changing from green to honey color with the turning of the seasons, create a breathtaking backdrop. In the town itself, a few long-forgotten remnants of an artistic golden age spearheaded by Russian colonists remain. It's got dome-topped municipal buildings and grand Russian edifices, along with a smattering of Kyrgyzstani sauna houses known as banyas.

But things are mainly about the wild adventure offered by the setting, and there are Karakol tour guides at hand to help plan all sorts of intrepid expeditions. Multi-day treks into the alpine hinterlands of the Altyn Arashan valley are the most popular. You can camp in sites with dramatic views over pine forests and babbling riverways, and spend evenings soothing hiking muscles in steaming hot springs. Come winter, the pistes of the Karakol Ski Base take center stage at 3,040 meters above sea level, offering snowsure runs just five miles from the town.