Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia and reputedly the coldest capital city in the world, is a fast-changing, contrast-filled place that is the gateway to the country's vast wilderness and nomadic heartland. Home to nearly half the nation's population, it is a chaotic mix of Soviet-era architecture, gleaming new towers and traditional felt-tent ger districts sprawling up the surrounding hills. Its highlights include the great Gandan Monastery, a centre of Mongolian Buddhism, the grand central Sukhbaatar Square, and museums rich in the country's history and dinosaur fossils.

History

Tools found on the surrounding mountains date back as far as 300,000 years. The city was founded in 1639 as a moving Buddhist monastic centre, changed location 29 times and settled for good in 1778; as Örgöö, or Urga, it was the seat of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, and after the Treaty of Kyakhta of 1727 it grew on the caravan route between Beijing and Kyakhta (Wikipedia, Ulaanbaatar).

The main sights

• Gandan Monastery - the great active Buddhist monastery.
• Sukhbaatar Square - the grand central square and government palace.
• The National Museum - the museum of Mongolian history and culture.
• The dinosaur fossils - the museum of Gobi dinosaur discoveries.

When to go

June to September, the short summer, for the most pleasant weather and as the base for exploring the countryside; the famous Naadam festival falls in July. Winters are brutally, dangerously cold, among the coldest of any city on earth.

Before you go

It is a chaotic, congested, fast-developing city rather than a beautiful one, with heavy traffic and, in winter, serious air pollution from the ger-district stoves; its appeal is as a gateway and a window on modern Mongolia rather than a destination in itself. Normal city precautions apply. Most travellers use it briefly as a base before heading to the countryside, which is the real draw.

Nearby

The Genghis Khan statue, the Terelj park and the vast countryside are within reach.

Key facts