As a skilled landscape photographer, Albert Dros has seen a lot of stunning landscapes, but nothing prepared him for the beauty he would find during a 3-week trip to Kyrgyzstan. The landlocked Central Asian country, located along the ancient Silk Road, has an incredible variety to its landscape. While the mountainous region to Tian Shan covers 80% of the country, Kyrgyzstan is also filled with impressive valleys and basins, as well as a clear sky untouched by light pollution.

For Dros, Kyrgyzstan was paradise. “As a photographer and nature lover, you know that feeling when you see that untouched beauty? Crazy mountains with open valleys? It triggers you somehow. That’s what Kyrgyzstan did to me,” Dros writes. The unspoiled landscape makes for sweeping views, with the occasional yurt or group of wild horses entering the frame. Though the mountains are already visible when in the capital city of Bishkek, the real adventure begins when Dros explores regions inhabited by nomadic shepherds.

“With some effort (driving ‘bad’ roads and hiking steep paths) you’ll be able to see some of the most beautiful untouched nature you’ve ever seen. Endless valleys with huge mountains around you, crystal clear turquoise lakes, wild eagles, canyons, you name it. This country has it all. I was surprised by its variety of landscapes in a rather small area. Just a few hours driving would bring me from snowcapped mountains to landscapes that looked like the moon with red canyons and unearthly textures.”

Dros was able to employ all his landscape photography secrets and capture the unspoiled beauty of a country few tourists venture to see. The results are a moving tribute to the power to nature.

Landscape photographer Albert Dros spent three weeks photographing the unspoiled beauty of Kyrgyzstan.

The Tian Shan mountain range covers 80% of the country, with peaks reaching over 7000 meters (23,000 feet).

Many people are shepherds living a nomadic lifestyle, with families living in yurts.

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My Modern Met granted permission to use photos Albert Dros.