Dushanbe

Although not the most charming city you may have visited, Dushanbe remains a safe and tranquil heaven, especially after some exciting but tough travelling time around the Pamirs, for most tourists. There are many parks, fountains and kitsch alleys, open-air festivities, people singing, playing games, or simply buying an ice cream or pop-corn during the fresh evenings in  this so Central-Asian city, that may also be your introduction to brutalism: as you wander around the ubiquitous Rudaki avenue you will see remnants of the Soviet times that have been transformed into pleasant cafes, bars and restaurants, although at the same time can make you wonder how life must have been when it still was the capital of the dark Soviet Tadjik Republic.
Very little English is spoken, even in Dushanbe. Reading the Cyrillic alphabet can be of huge help (i.e. in restaurants).
You should not drink tap water anywhere in Tadjikistan, and you should also avoid fresh salads and generally uncooked food.