Martin’s journey through three camps

CENTRAL ASIA FIRST-HANDKazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan • UzbekistanWhat happens when you set off on your own for a month-long journey across Central Asia?

Minibuses, high-speed trains, hitchhiking, horseback riding, hundreds of kilometres on foot… plus breathtaking mountains, unexpected adventures and unforgettable encounters. In the summer of 2026, Martin Grosman travelled through three Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. During his journey, he not only visited places featured in tourist guides, but also ventured off the beaten track to places not yet well-trodden by tourists.

In Kazakhstan, we’ll climb up to all three of the Kolsai Lakes.

In Kyrgyzstan, we’ll head to the turquoise Lake Ala-Kul, amongst herds of semi-wild horses near Song-Köl, and across a glacier in the bed of a frozen river to one of the largest sites of petroglyphs in Central Asia.

In Uzbekistan, we’ll be transported back to the days of the Silk Road. We’ll wander through the breathtaking cities of Bukhara and Samarkand, but before that we’ll also head into the Uzbek mountains, which will surprise us with their beauty and remoteness.

But this won’t just be a talk about places. It will be about people, chance encounters, adventures, travelling without a fixed plan, mountains, cultures, and situations where things definitely don’t go as expected. Come and set off on a journey with us for a while. Central Asia awaits.

Fryč Bookshop and Second-hand Bookshop 4 November 2026 6.00 pm