Patan Durbar Square

Patan (Lalitpur, the City of Beauty) is the oldest of the three royal cities in the Kathmandu Valley and is renowned for its extraordinary concentration of temples and artistic heritage. Patan Durbar Square houses one of the finest collections of Newari architecture in Asia.

The Krishna Mandir, built entirely of stone in the shikhara style, is unique among valley temples and features scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana carved into its stone beams. The Patan Museum, housed in the former royal palace, is considered the best museum in Nepal with outstanding displays of Hindu and Buddhist art.

The square includes the Bhimsen Temple, Vishwanath Temple, and the ornate Mul Chowk courtyard. The adjacent streets contain the famous Golden Temple (Kwa Bahal), Mahaboudha Temple (covered in terracotta tiles depicting Buddha), and Rato Machhindranath Temple.

Patan is also the center of traditional metalwork and stone carving — the surrounding lanes are filled with workshops producing the finest bronze statues in Nepal. The annual Rato Machhindranath Jatra is Patan's biggest festival.