Barskoon

Barskoon, or Barskon, is a small village and valley located on the Southern shore of Issyk Lake, in Kyrgyzstan. Barskoon is the ideal place to relax and discover its impressive waterfalls or go for a hike.

Back in history

The name Barskoon translates as “tears of the Snow Leopard”. This high valley is inhabited by many snow leopards. The valley also has two beautiful waterfalls, from which comes its name.

Barskoon is famous for being a great training and rehabilitation center for sportsmen, including astronauts, of the Soviet Union.

It is also on the road to the famous Kumtor Gold Mine, the biggest mine in Kyrgyzstan.

Mahumud al-Kashgari, also known as Barskhani, is native from this region. During the 11th century, he was very famous for his knowledge, especially of several medieval Turkish dialects.

Barskoon nowadays

Today, the village of Barskoon is a pleasant stopover in your journey through Kyrgyzstan. Its rich natural environment offers beautiful hikes, on foot or on horseback. The summits will give you splendid panoramic views of the villages and the valleys.

Barskoon is also famous for its two waterfalls. You can hike up to both waterfalls very closely. The waterfalls are spectacular seen from above. In winter, they are very often frozen and great for experienced alpinists who want to try out ice climbing. The two waterfalls are very powerful and noisy. One of them is the tallest waterfall in Kyrgyzstan with a height of 86 m (282 ft).

East of the mountains lies a cold alpine desert called Sytyr. This place is ideal for those who want to go trekking, although the path is quite difficult.

Exploring the valley, you will see several monuments to the astronaut Yuri Gagarin. He trained in the Barskoon valley before going to space.

How to get there?

You can take a taxi to go there from the main road.