Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhaktapur Durbar Square lies about 12 km east of Kathmandu, on the Arniko Highway, and is the historic centre of the old Newar city of Bhaktapur. It was the palace complex of the Malla kings and then of the rulers of the Kingdom of Bhaktapur until it was conquered in 1769. At its height the palace had 99 courtyards; about 15 remain, as earthquakes in 1833 and 1934 reduced it to its present size. The square is part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site, inscribed by UNESCO in 1979.

The Palace of Fifty-five Windows, commissioned by King Bhupatindra Malla, is known for its carved windows and murals and has changed little since it was finished. Beside it is the Golden Gate, built between 1751 and 1754 and decorated in gilded repousse, which leads to the inner courtyards and the shrine of Taleju. A statue of Bhupatindra Malla sits on a tall stone pillar facing the palace, and the National Art Gallery occupies part of the palace buildings. The stone Vatsala Temple carries a bronze bell, installed by King Ranjit Malla in 1737, that marked the start and end of a daily curfew. The Yakshasvara temple is often called the Pashupati of Bhaktapur because it resembles the great temple in Kathmandu.

A short walk away is the Nyatapola, whose name means five-storeyed. It survived the 1934 earthquake and is dedicated to a Tantric goddess, with its steps lined by sculptures of deities and mythical beasts. Next to it is the three-storey Bhairavnath Temple. Further into the town, Dattatreya Square is named after a temple said to have been built from a single tree trunk, and a nearby monastery has carved peacock windows.

The 2015 earthquake damaged 116 monuments here, and restoration is still under way, so expect scaffolding in places. Bhaktapur is known for its pottery and woodcarving, and nearby Thimi is a Newar town where most households make pottery.

Allow most of a day so that you can walk between Durbar Square, the Nyatapola and Dattatreya Square. Changu Narayan is a few miles to the north, and the tourism board suggests combining Bhaktapur with Nagarkot, so the town fits well into a trip east of Kathmandu.