Patan

Patan (Lalitpur) lies just south of Kathmandu across the Bagmati River, yet feels like an entirely different world. Its UNESCO-listed Durbar Square contains the Krishna Mandir, a stunning 17th-century stone temple with scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana carved around its two lower levels. The adjacent Patan Museum, ranked among Asia's best, houses a superb collection of Hindu and Buddhist bronzes. Patan's metalsmith tradition is centuries old — the neighbourhood of Mahabouddha is lined with workshops producing fine bronze and copper statues. Patan is easily combined with Kathmandu as a half-day or full-day trip.