Patan Durbar Square
Also known as: Lalitpur · Yala · पाटन
The finest collection of Newar architecture in the valley: palace courtyards, stone temples and the superb Patan Museum.
Patan (Lalitpur, 'city of beauty') was one of the three Malla kingdoms of the valley. Its Durbar Square packs palace courtyards — Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk with its carved royal bath — and temples such as the stone Krishna Mandir of 1637 into a single harmonious space.
The Patan Museum, in the former palace, is widely considered the best museum in Nepal for understanding Hindu and Buddhist art. Beyond the square, lanes of metalworkers lead to the Golden Temple (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar) and the Kumbheshwar temple with its five roofs.
