Walks by the Irtysh and Ulba in Oskemen: how to build an easy city route

A route by the water: start with the turnaround, not kilometers

In Oskemen, it’s easy to overestimate your energy: the river pulls you farther, the bridges add interest, and you still have to get back. So the working plan is this: choose a starting point, set your turnaround for 15, 20, or 30 minutes, and don’t argue with the plan. That gives you a 30–60 minute walk without the feeling that you’ve “gone too far.”

How to build a 30–60 minute walk

For a river route, it’s better to think not “how many kilometers,” but “how much energy will I have left for the way back.” If you haven’t walked regularly in a while, start with 30 minutes: 15 minutes from the start and 15 minutes back. After a week, add another 5–10 minutes, but only if your feet, shins, and knees don’t ache the next day.

1. Choose a flat start: Slavsky Embankment, the River Station, Sauletai Park, or the entrance to the Left-Bank Complex.
2. Walk the first 5 minutes more calmly than usual: it’s a warm-up, not wasted time.
3. Keep the main part at a pace where you can speak in full phrases.
4. Turn around before you get tired: by the water, wind and the return trip can feel harder.
5. Slow down for the last 3–5 minutes, especially if you went up onto a bridge or walked into the wind.

Ready-made sections along the Irtysh

Slavsky Embankment is the basic option: a wide line, clear landmarks, nearby stops, and places where you can turn off. If you need a walk without elevation gain, choose this one. Sauletai Park on the embankment works well as a family start: you can walk part of the route, return to the playgrounds, and avoid turning the walk into a chore.

Ulba and Strelka: beautiful, but dose it

Strelka is where the city explains itself best: the Irtysh and Ulba meet here, the Victory memorial complex is nearby, and you get open views and plenty of air. But that same openness makes this section changeable: on a calm evening it feels easy, while in gusty wind the very same path can feel noticeably harder.

• If you’re walking for 30 minutes, don’t go far from Strelka: make a scenic loop and come back.
• If you want 45–60 minutes, add a short section along the Ulba and choose your turnaround point in advance.
• If you’re walking with a child, a stroller, or after illness, leave the bridges for the end of the walk, not the start.
• If your goal is a calm load, don’t speed up on the climbs to the bridge: your pulse rises there on its own.

Wind by the water: the main route factor

Wind feels stronger by the water because there are fewer barriers and more open space. In Oskemen, this is not a small detail: in Kazhydromet’s bulletin for the first quarter of 2025, the city’s average wind speed is listed as 3–13 m/s, with gusts of 15–21 m/s recorded on some days. For a walk, that’s the difference between “pleasantly brisk” and “I want to get home faster.”

The best rule for a river walk: walk into the wind in the first half, with the wind in the second. That way, you won’t find yourself tired and far from the start with the wind hitting your face.

How to get to convenient starting points

For Slavsky Embankment, use the stops near the River Station, the Cathedral, and the Central City Library as landmarks: according to city news, the new bus route №37 runs along E. P. Slavsky Embankment and includes these stops. But always check the schedule on the day of your walk — public transport changes faster than walking routes.

• From the center: start at the River Station and walk toward Strelka if you want a scenic route.
• With kids: start at Sauletai, walk 10–15 minutes one way, then return to the playgrounds.
• From the Left Bank: use the Left-Bank Complex as a sheltered warm-up, and go out to the Irtysh only when the wind is reasonable.
• If you live closer to Zhastar Park: walk through the park as a warm-up, then add a short section toward the Ulba, but don’t turn it into a long loop right away.
• If you came by car: choose parking near the start in advance so you don’t finish the walk by crossing noisy streets.

Pace: walk so you can talk

If you’re walking by the Irtysh for your health rather than a record, use the talk test: if you can say 1–2 sentences without pausing, the pace is fine; if you can only manage single words, slow down. This is especially important on open sections and in a headwind: effort rises quietly, while the pleasure of the walk drops quickly.

• Easy day: 70–90 steps per minute, 20–35 minutes, without the goal of “working up a sweat.”
• Regular day: 90–110 steps per minute, 30–45 minutes, deeper breathing, conversation possible.
• Brisk day: short sections at 110–120 steps per minute, but only if there is no pain or strong wind.
• After a break, illness, or a sleepless night: keep the pace easy and check how you feel in the evening.

Safety: surface, bridges, air

River routes are good because they’re flat, but they have their own details: wet paving, sand after wind, ice in winter, curbs near ramps, open bridges, and dense city air on NMU days. If there is fog outside, a smell of smoke, or an official warning about adverse meteorological conditions, don’t try to “push through” a long walk. For days like these, Qozgal has a separate guide to winter smog in Oskemen.

Weekly plan: no overload

The WHO recommends that adults get 150–300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. But that doesn’t mean you need to start by walking for an hour every day. For Oskemen, it’s easier to build the week from short river outings: two times on the embankment, one time at Strelka, one time in a park or on the Left Bank. That gives you volume without turning walking into an exam.

1. Monday: 30 minutes along Slavsky Embankment, easy pace.
2. Wednesday: 35–45 minutes Sauletai → River Station → back.
3. Friday: 40–50 minutes Strelka + a short section toward the Ulba.
4. Sunday: 45–60 minutes in the Left-Bank Complex or along sheltered alleys.
5. If you want more city ideas, see the general guide where to walk in Oskemen.

Questions