Issyk-Kul is a lake that is as long as 182 kilometers

(Patria) - Lake Issyk-Kul is perhaps the biggest tourist attraction of the somewhat forgotten Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan. It is one of the largest mountain lakes in the world.

It is somewhat salty - which prevents it from freezing during the cold Central Asian winters - it has a salinity of only about 0.6 percent, for example, the salinity of the Adriatic Sea is 38 percent.

The country itself is known for its beautiful nature, and considering the development of tourism in every corner of the world, it is only a matter of time before tourists discover it, writes Punkufer.hr.

The aforementioned Issyk-Kul is one of the largest mountain lakes in the world, located at an altitude of 1,607 meters above sea level.

It is an incredible 182 kilometers long, 62 kilometers wide, and covers a total area of 6,236 square kilometers.

The lake is considered the second largest mountain lake in the world (South American Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia is larger, but also higher).

Activities on Issyk-Kul include water sports, hiking (the mountains are stunningly beautiful), visiting old Soviet resorts and sanatoriums, and horseback riding.

Kyrgyz people have a nomadic heritage (like the Mongols), although they transitioned to a settled way of life during the Soviet period.

Visitors will see yurts (today mainly used as guesthouses) and many horses, which are key to Kyrgyzstan's heritage, and horse meat is also part of their national cuisine.

The lake is surrounded by high mountains, the views are wonderful, so we can safely say that it is one of the undiscovered natural beauties of the world.

Nevertheless, during the Soviet era, Lake Issyk-Kul was a major tourist destination, as evidenced by numerous Soviet-era health resorts (which are worth visiting in themselves) mostly located around the town of Cholpon-Ata.

The main city on the shores of Issyk-Kul is Karakol, the center of the region where it is easiest for tourists to find accommodation if they decide to visit the lake.