What to do in Patan

Just across the Bagmati River from Kathmandu, Patan feels like stepping into a quieter, more refined chapter of Nepal's history. Often called the city of artisans, this ancient Newari settlement has been producing exquisite metalwork, woodcarvings and traditional crafts for over a thousand years – and the skills are still very much alive in the workshops tucked down its narrow lanes. Patan Durbar Square is arguably the most beautiful of the valley's three royal plazas, a concentrated collection of temples, palaces and courtyards that somehow survived the 2015 earthquake largely intact. The Patan Museum, housed in a former palace, is worth a good hour or two for its stunning bronze sculptures and thoughtfully curated displays on Hindu and Buddhist iconography. Duck into the Golden Temple, a glittering Buddhist monastery where young monks pad across the courtyard, or simply lose yourself wandering the backstreets, popping into handicraft shops and watching coppersmiths hammer away as they have for generations. It's a city that rewards slow exploration – and a welcome contrast to Kathmandu's frenetic pace.