Medeu in Almaty: high?mountain ice in a narrow Kazakh valley
Published on 09/09/2026 at 06:49 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
High above the streets of Almaty in Kazakhstan, Medeu stretches out as an outdoor sheet of ice framed by steep mountain slopes and dry valley air. Set in Medeu Valley on the southeastern outskirts of the city, the sports complex sits at around 1,691 m (5,548 ft) above sea level, giving skating and winter sport a rare high?mountain setting in Central Asia.
A high-altitude rink above Almaty
Medeu is an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink built into a narrow mountain valley on the northern slopes of the Trans-Ili Alatau range, just outside Almaty. The complex stands in the Medeu Valley, part of a wider tract along the Malaya Almatinka River where the city’s streets give way to ravines and pine-covered slopes.Medeu is located in the Medeu Valley The rink’s altitude of 1,691 m (5,548 ft) places it among the world’s notable high-mountain sports facilities, with cold, dry air that favours fast ice.
The ice surface at Medeu covers about 10,500 m², laid out as a broad oval suitable for speed skating. Around the rink, terraces and stands rise in tiers from the valley floor, giving spectators views over both the competition surface and the surrounding slopes.The ice surface measures roughly 10,500 m² The complex has hosted numerous international speed skating competitions, and more than 200 world records have been set on its fast ice in the decades since it opened.World records have been achieved here over many seasons
From Soviet sports project to alpine complex
The development of Medeu belongs to the mid-twentieth-century history of Almaty, when the city was part of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. A site in Medeu Valley was selected for a high-mountain skating rink in 1949, and the first competitions on natural ice were held in February 1951.The first rink opened in early 1951 At that stage the ice depended on low air temperatures and functioned only for a short season each year.
The modern stadium with artificial ice dates to the period between 1969 and 1972, when a full alpine sports complex was constructed in the valley. Architects Vladimir Katsev, Arystan Kaynarbayev and Marat Zhaksylykov were among the leading designers responsible for the project.Architects Vladimir Katsev, Arystan Kaynarbayev and Marat Zhaksylykov led the design The completed complex was opened with artificial ice in December 1972 and later received recognition in the Soviet Union, including the USSR State Prize awarded in 1975 to its designers and builders.The high-mountain complex opened in 1972
Ice, concrete and mountain slopes
Standing in Medeu, the contrast between engineered surfaces and mountain terrain is direct. The skating rink occupies the valley floor, its ice bordered by a low wall and surrounded by concrete terraces for spectators. Above these terraces, access routes, service buildings and stairways climb the valley sides, following the contours of the slopes.
The wider Medeu tract rises between about 1,520 m and 1,750 m above sea level, running along the Malaya Almatinka River in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau.The Medeu tract sits between roughly 1,520 m and 1,750 m Pine and spruce cover the valley sides in many sections, broken by retaining structures and a dam above the complex. Paths and stairways link the rink to viewpoints further up the valley, from which the geometry of the ice surface and the surrounding mountains can be seen together.
Visiting Medeu: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Medeu lies on the southeastern outskirts of Almaty, in a mountain valley on the northern slopes of the Trans-Ili Alatau; the access road climbs from the city towards the Medeu tract.
City buses, including route 12, link central Almaty with the sports complex along Dostyk Avenue. - The rink and surrounding terraces sit at around 1,691 m (5,548 ft), and approaches in the complex include flights of concrete steps and sloping paths on the valley sides.
- Medeu is in Kazakhstan, where the official language is Kazakh and the currency is the Kazakhstani tenge.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Medeu
Where is Medeu located in relation to Almaty?
Medeu lies in Medeu Valley on the southeastern outskirts of Almaty, in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau range.
What do visitors encounter on a trip to Medeu?
Visitors encounter an outdoor speed-skating rink, concrete terraces, access paths and stairways, all set within a steep-sided mountain valley.
What makes Medeu distinctive among skating venues?
Medeu’s combination of high-altitude setting at about 1,691 m (5,548 ft), large outdoor ice surface and surrounding mountain landscape gives the complex a distinctive character.
