The name Denau means "new village". Situated along the Sukhandarya river, along the ancient road to Dushanbe, it is today a small bustling town of 61,000 inhabitants. Centuries ago, a stronghold of the Gissar/Hissar Khan, it was later named after Denau Beg, the Emir of Bukhara.

The valley's subtropical climate makes it an ideal wine growing area, producing the "Novbakhor" "Morastel" and "Uzbekistan" varieties, which are renowned for their fine bouquet. With sugarcane from local plantations, Denau rum is produced. The Arboretum on the outskirts of town, named after R. Shreder, offers a stroll among more than 1,000 different trees, flowers, herbs and other plants from the most varied cultures on earth including kauchuk, bamboo, sequoia, 200 kinds of persimmon and a multitude of extremely rare species. Most of the plants were donated by visiting dignitaries and scientists from all over the world.

Historical and architectural monuments of Denau