The government of Turkmenistan traditionally attaches great importance to protecting public health. This is one of the priorities of the country’s state policy. The principles of a healthy lifestyle, physical training and sports are widely supported by citizens of Turkmenistan. Both in the morning and in the evening, one can meet many people walking briskly in tracksuits, jogging or Nordic walking in the streets of the Turkmen cities. And on weekends, masses of city dwellers and villagers go to nature, to their favourite hiking trails or mountain slopes.
We will tell you about one such route, which stands out among many favorite places of Ashgabat residents. The route attracts both fans of a healthy lifestyle and lovers of hiking, as well as fans of mountain tourism. People come here alone and with their families – with small children and elderly parents. There is always clean air and a magnificent view of Kopetdag and its foothills. One can always be charged with cheerfulness and a good mood. This is the “Health Trail”. In 2025, it will be a quarter of a century since the commissioning of this unique man-made structure.
The “Health Trail” is a walking route that stretches in the foothills and along the Kopetdag ridge for more than thirty kilometers. It is located in the southern outskirts of Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. People walk on a concrete pavement along the entire route, and the steepest sections of the path can be overcome with the help of steps. The highest point of the route reaches a mark of over one thousand meters above sea level.
The construction of the “Health Trail” began in 1999. Large-scale construction proceeded at a rapid pace, and already at the very beginning of the following year – January 2, 2000 – the grand opening of the first section of the 8-kilometer-long pedestrian route took place. The width of the “trail” is 5 meters, railings are installed along the entire route, and lanterns-lamps, located every 12 meters, allow walking even in the twilight. There are also sources of drinking water throughout the route.
The first section of the “Health Trail”, which ran along the ridge of the Gindivar Range, rising like a wall above the surrounding area, was quickly mastered by Ashgabat residents. And already on November 4 of the same year 2000, the second 28-km long route was opened. One can only imagine the smoothness and efficiency of the construction process, given that such a long section of the footpath was completed in nine months.
Those who decide to start conquering the “Health Trail” usually come to the park by private vehicle or get to the Kopetdag spurs by passenger buses. Hiking enthusiasts normally start from the first section of the trail.
Throughout the entire eight kilometers of the first section of the trail, pedestrians enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the Turkmen capital. One can sit down and rest under the shade of gazebos whose domes rise on rocky ledges in the most picturesque places of the trail. Only the first kilometer of the path is truly difficult, and from the third to the eighth kilometer it is a pleasure to walk. Part of the first section of the “Health Trail” passes in the shade of tall pine trees, and along the route there are sculptural compositions of the representatives of the fauna of Kopetdag. The highest point to which the conquerors of this section of the trail walk is 760 meters above sea level.
Those who reach the western end of the first section of the walking trail descend directly to the outskirts of the capital’s residential area of Bagir, near which there are the historical settlements of Old and New Nisa, ancient hydraulic systems of wells and underground galleries – karizes and the natural freshwater source Yanbash, popular among Ashgabat residents.
The second, eastern 28-kilometer section of the “Health Trail” will require more time. During the walk, the healthy lifestyle enthusiasts will walk to a height of 1040 meters above sea level, pass by the white marble tower of the Turkmenistan TV center, listed in the Guinness Book of Records due to the world’s largest image of a star as part of an architectural ensemble, and find themselves at the starting station of the Ashgabat cable car – another popular and iconic place in the capital of Turkmenistan.
The second section of the Ashgabat “Health Trail” is quite steep in some places, the ascents and descents here require considerable effort. Near the cable car, the trail winds through the foothills of the Kopetdag, mostly passing among pine trees. The eastern end of the pedestrian route is already near the urban part of the capital.
The second eastern section of the trail is no less interesting for lovers of wildlife than the western one, because here one can meet rare representatives of insects, in particular butterflies, and see, if you are lucky, a steppe fox – a corsac, a mountain sheep – an argali, and even a monitor lizard.
The “Health Trail” impresses everyone, but only those who have walked all 36 kilometers of the route will be able to appreciate the full scale of the project implemented in such a short time. Over 25 years of its existence, the Ashgabat “Health Trail” has become a real tourist brand. People of all ages and sport conditions can walk along it, because there are a variety of mountain areas and terrain.
As of today, small “health trails” have been built in all regions of Turkmenistan, in cities and towns located near mountains or hills. They are often used for speed climbs, walks and walking relay races for adults and children.
The Ashgabat “Health Trail” is a traditional place for mass ascents and all kinds of sports events. Thus, at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 25 October 2024, the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed holding a mass ascent along the “Health Trail”, which took place on 2 November 2024 with the participation of the head of state. Serdar Berdimuhamedov fully completed the first section of the popular route, and upon completion of the mass ascent, he took part in a ceremony of honoring the sportsmen of the national teams of Turkmenistan who won prizes at international competitions, as well as awarding the winners of the competition among representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations, university students, employees of ministries and departments for passing the route.
It should be noted that the President of Turkmenistan regularly walks along the “Health Trail”, and on 21 March 2008, the walking route even became the venue for a regular government meeting dedicated to the Novruz holiday.
For several years now, the 28-kilometre section of the “Health Trail” has been the site of the National Cup stage in skyrunning, a sport whose name can be translated from English as “running at an altitude”. The first to reach the finish line on a mountain peak wins the race.
Those who have completed both routes do not hide that at first it is a bit hard to walk, sometimes they want to give up and go back to the starting point. But the beautiful views of the Kopetdag and the capital of Turkmenistan, clean air and amazing smells of mountain herbs make literally everyone forget about physical difficulties. Almost all of them say afterwards that they will definitely return to the “Health Trail”. And there have long appeared groups of enthusiasts among Ashgabat residents and residents of other regions of Turkmenistan who come to their favorite mountain hiking trails again and again every week.