Highlights of Central Mongolia
The central region is the cradle of Mongolian civilisation, with the ancient city of Karakorum and the Erdene Zuu Monastery located along the Orkhon River. Also in this area are ancient rock inscriptions, archaeological sites from the Turkic and Uighur periods, towering sand dunes, the largest waterfall in Mongolia and several hot springs for relieving any aching limbs!
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There is almost nothing left of the great city today, but the Erdene Zuu monastery was built with bricks from the ruins of Karakorum in 1586, including a stone from the ancient city with Arabic script.
Established by Genghis Khan’s son in 1220 as the capital of the Mongol Empire, Karakorum was in its heyday a multi-cultural and cosmopolitan city filled with traders from all over the world.
The area around Karakorum in Central Mongolia is home to a number of natural attractions including the country's largest waterfall in the Orkhon valley, rejuvenating hot springs of Tsagaan Sum and the mass of sand dunes at Mongol Els.
The crystal clear White Lake (Tsagaan Nuur) was formed by lava flows from Khorgo volcano many millenia ago. Rare species of flowers and pine trees grow in the black volcanic soil and ancient lava flows streak out across the meadow. This astonishingly beautiful lake is renowned for its fish and birdlife and the area is home to traditional yak herding families, their way of life unchanged for centuries.