Patan Durbar Square, Kathmandu

I traveled around Nepal earlier this year for several weeks. It’s a fantastic place to visit, with the stunning Himalayas to explore, rich culture and the warmest people. It’s really an adventurers dream destination!

I visited just before the earthquake hit Nepal, so there’s a feeling of sadness as I share my photos, as many of the beautiful heritage sights I had the pleasure of seeing are not all completely intact anymore. It truly was a shock to discover what had happened, and my thoughts and wishes go out to everyone there including all the wonderful people I met.

My boyfriend and I had a long vacation together, and since we’re both always seeking outdoor adventures, we thought Nepal was the perfect first stop for our trip.

Kathmandu is such a fascinating city with so much history and culture to learn as well as of course the most beautiful temples and world heritage sites to explore.

Even just walking through the towns winding alleys towards Patan Durbar Square was a great experience. Although I must admit the air isn’t the cleanest to breathe, the place is bursting with life at every turn, children laughing and playing, shop owners selling their goods, cars whizzing at scarily fast speeds around corners. It’s chaotic and crazy in the best possible way.

Kathmandu is surprisingly cold during the winter! Most people as you can see were wrapped up in jackets and scarves. I definitely didn’t bring warm enough clothes..

We reached the square in Lalitpur city, which makes you immediately stop to a halt and look up in admiration.

Patan Durbar Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is actually one of three, and the oldest Durbar Squares within Kathmandu Valley.

The intricate detail and design is pretty special. The architecture is called Newa which is an indigenous style of architecture by the Newari people in Kathmandu. The photo below shows a wood-carving style unique to Nepal.

The square has striking red brick and red tiling on the ground. Scattered throughout are Hindu temples, monuments and shrines, famous for their intricate and beautiful carvings. The oldest is called the Golden Temple which is the oldest and most famous monument there, built in the 12th century.

North of the square is Patan Museum which is part of the former royal palace. It’s worth buying a ticket to visit ‘one of the finest museums in South Asia’.

There are over 1100 artifacts, many of which are sculptures of Hindu and Buddhist dieties from the Kathmandu Valley. I thought the exhibits were really fantastic and well explained.

It’s worth going just to climb up to the very top and marvel at the view.