Natural Wonder
4/5
Charyn Canyon (Valley of Castles)
Charyn Canyon is a magnificent, dramatic 154-kilometer-long red sandstone canyon carved by the swift Charyn River in southeastern Kazakhstan, often dubbed Central Asia's Grand Canyon. Formed over 12 million years of wind, water, and atmospheric erosion, its most famous section—the Valley of Castles—features towering red rock pillars, turrets, and gothic gargoyles rising up to 300 meters above the canyon floor. Rich in ancient folklore, nomadic mythology, and dark local tales, Charyn Canyon encompasses the eerie 'Witch Gorge' (Vedmin Ushchelye), where visitors report disembodied laughter, spectral shadows moving among sandstone columns, and unexplained sudden flash floods or optical illusions.