Where to Stay in Ulan Bator, Ulaanbaatar Hot

What is Ulan Bator known for?

Ulaanbaatar is known as the capital and largest city of Mongolia, set in a valley on the Tuul River. The city grew from a Buddhist monastic centre into the country's seat of government. Cold marks it too.

Its museums and temples draw most visitors, among them the National Museum of Mongolia and the Choijin Lama Temple. Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital city in the world.

What are the main landmarks in Ulan Bator?

Ulaanbaatar keeps most of its landmarks in the centre, a legacy of its start as a Buddhist monastic town. The Choijin Lama Temple stands among the old religious buildings at its core. Museums fill much of the rest.

The National Museum of Mongolia, the Fine Arts Zanabazar Museum, and the Chinggis Khaan National Museum gather the country's history and art. The Geser Sum Monastery keeps the Buddhist tradition alive in the city.

What is the history of Ulan Bator?

Ulaanbaatar began in the seventeenth century as a Buddhist monastic centre, a moving camp rather than a fixed town. It began on the move. For its early life it stayed mobile, and it changed location twenty-nine times as it followed the needs of its monks and their herds.

Only in 1778 did it settle for good at its present site in the valley of the Tuul River. From a wandering monastery it became a fixed city. That long road from tent to town shapes its story.

Settled at last on the Tuul River, Ulaanbaatar grew into the capital of Mongolia and the seat of the nation. The Buddhist temples of its origin still stand at its core, among them the Choijin Lama Temple. Monasteries and temples still mark the streets it grew from.

As the country took its modern form, the city became its political and cultural centre, drawing people from across the land. The old monastic town gave way to a national capital. Ulaanbaatar holds the government, the museums, and much of the settled life of the whole of Mongolia.

Where is Ulan Bator?

Ulaanbaatar lies in a valley on the Tuul River, high in the interior of Mongolia. Higher ground rings the valley. The valley floor holds the city, and the Tuul River runs along it below the built-up streets, threading the heart of the capital.

The city sits well above sea level, far from any coast. Deep in the country, it stands a long way from Mongolia's borders on every side.

What is the climate of Ulan Bator?

Ulaanbaatar has a bitter continental climate, the coldest of any capital city in the world. Winters are long and severe in the high valley, where cold air settles and holds for months on end. Summers are short and mild.

The Tuul River freezes hard through the coldest part of the year. Sitting far inland and high above the sea, the city feels the full swing of the seasons.

How do you get to Ulan Bator?

Ulaanbaatar is the starting point for almost all travel in Mongolia. Nearly every visitor passes through it. From its valley on the Tuul River, the city gathers the country's main links, and roads and rail lead out from it across Mongolia.

Distances grow long once you leave the capital. Most journeys through the country begin here in Ulaanbaatar.