The city was founded where the Ulba River meets the Irtysh, and this confluence point remains one of the most atmospheric spots in Ust-Kamenogorsk. The Irtysh here is wide and unhurried; the Ulba runs in from the east through a valley of birch and conifer forest. The best viewpoint is from the embankment near Kirov Park, where you can see both rivers stretching away in different directions.
The Irtysh is one of the great rivers of Central Asia and Siberia, eventually joining the Ob before reaching the Arctic Ocean thousands of kilometres to the north. Standing at this confluence it is possible to appreciate the scale of the river system — and why Russian colonisers chose this spot for a fortress in 1720. The old military foundation of the city has mostly vanished, but the river setting that made it strategically important is unchanged.