Residents of Uzbekistan and many visitors are familiar with the concept of "chilla" — the hottest and driest period of the year, when temperatures can exceed 40 degrees. During this time, people seek to spend more time near water or among trees. To avoid traveling far out of the city, Tashkent residents visit numerous recreation areas. Today, I will introduce you to Magic City Park and Alisher Navoi Park, which are located next to each other.
How to Get There
I’m writing about both parks in one article because they are located next to each other. Many visitors probably don't even notice when they transition from one recreation area to the other. To the west, on the side of Alisher Navoi Park, is the Milliy Bog’ metro station, which translates to "National Park."
Magic City Park is easier to reach from the Xalqlar Do'stligi ("Friendship of Peoples") metro station. The walk to the entrance takes about ten minutes.
Entrance to both parks is free.
Magic City: A Modern Recreation Area for Children and Adults
I would classify Magic City as an amusement park. There are not many places for quiet relaxation, but there are plenty of shops, cafes, a cinema, an aquarium, and a zone with attractions. The area is divided into themed sections, featuring architectural references to various cities around the world. For example, there is a tower resembling London’s Big Ben and a quarter designed in the style of the Moscow Kremlin.
The largest building in the park is a 60-meter fairy-tale castle. In front of it is a pond where a spectacular musical fountain show takes place in the evenings. Recently, a new attraction has appeared here — guests can fly over the pond on the city's longest zipline.
Inside the castle are the Museum of Magic, a Maze, and... the Museum of Toilets. I agree, it sounds ambiguous. Previously, this space housed a regular public toilet, but today the stalls have been transformed into small themed areas: for instance, there’s a gym stall and a "throne" from "Game of Thrones."
National Park of Uzbekistan Named After Alisher Navoi
This park is very different from Magic City; it is more often chosen by those who appreciate a peaceful rest by the water. In the central part of the walking area is a large lake.
Here you can take a boat ride or even spend time on a beach with umbrellas and sun loungers. I haven’t been to the beach myself, as the influx of visitors makes it difficult to access in hot weather.
In the western part of the park is the Writers' Alley, where monuments to Uzbek writers and poets are located. The Tashkent Museum building is also here, which I will cover in one of my next articles.
Have a nice trip!
