A greeting here rarely ends at the doorstep. Hands are shaken, news is traded, and before long a kettle appears and the table fills for guests nobody expected. Beyond the villages, high pastures climb toward snowy ridges, and families still gather in yurts when the herds move up for summer.
Expect a continental climate: cold winters, warm to hot summers in the valleys, and polar conditions on the highest peaks. Summer opens the high roads and lakeshores, while spring brings flowers to the lower slopes. A Local Friend walks beside you rather than ahead, translating small talk, explaining the customs and letting each invitation last as long as it wants.