Kathmandu Travel Guide

Patan

One of the three royal cities in the Kathmandu Valley, Patan (officially called Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City) has a rich cultural heritage known for its fine crafts, evident in the elaborate architecture, stone carvings, and metal statues found all over the city. A centre of both Buddhist and Hindu culture in Tibet, Patan is home to more than 1,200 monuments. One of the most stunning is the Krishna Mandir, a stone temple with magnificent friezes built in the 16th century. Patan Durbar Square is also a good place to see beautiful examples of palaces, temples and shrines, and the stunning stone carvings in the Sundari Courtyards. The entire city of Patan was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.