What to see in Bhaktapur on a trip through its squares which house religious places and interesting museums
The district of is located in the central-eastern part of Nepal Bhaktapur, a beautiful city center full of sites of high cultural and religious value. Many tourist attractions develop around the Durbar Square, a UNESCO world heritage site for the wonders it hosts. We advise you to start your trip to Nepal by walking through the squares of Bhaktapur to discover religious places and museums.
A first tour of Thaumadi Square
The singular Nyatapola Pagoda of Bhaktapur is located in the center of the square and is made up of 4 steps, which can be crossed by walking along a staircase surrounded by large religious statues which with their impassive gaze will seem to follow your movements. Some have the appearance of humans, others of animals (an elephant can be recognised), but all help the visitor to enter the pagoda with respect and in the most appropriate internal condition.
In Thaucpal Square: the oldest part of Bhaktapur
Il Dattatreya temple, however, is almost 600 years old and is located in Tachupal square, in the oldest area of Bhaktapur. Two large statues of characters linked to Hinduism welcome the visitor on the mezzanine floor once he has crossed a small arched portico. Also in the same square you can admire the Bhimsen's temple which is located in front of a tall statue, on top of which a ferocious beast directs the visitor towards the entrance of the temple with its gaze.
Then take a tour of the fantastic and famous one Pujari Math. Here too we are in the presence of a structure built in the 15th century and the peculiarity of this place that many tourists immediately notice is the window with the peacock right above one of the entrances. Attention is in fact captured by the well-known animal, which in a regal position observes the approaching crowd with its finely decorated tail.
Inside you can buy a ticket for three of Bhaktapur's museums and start visiting the first, right here in the Pujari Math, which is the Woodworking Museum. Discovering the techniques used since ancient times by the artisans of Bhaktapur is an essential step, given the notable use of this material in the religious and cultural structures of the city. The second museum to which you are entitled with the same ticket is the nearby Brass and Bronze Museum, which will allow you to admire some very important religious artefacts for Nepalese culture.
Inside the famous Durbar Square
The last museum that can be visited with the same ticket is the National Art Gallery, an unmissable cultural place in Bhaktapur. It is located in the Royal Palace complex which includes the 55-window Palace built way back in the XNUMXth century by King Yaksha Malla. It is one of the symbolic sites of Bhaktapur and takes its name from the number of windows that follow one another on the upper floor.
To reach the courtyard of this palace you will have to pass through the golden door, an artistic and architectural masterpiece by the best Nepalese masters and which certainly deserves more than one photo. Then also visit the National Art Gallery, where works of high cultural value are kept, belonging to the Hindu and Buddhist religions, and relating to the history of Bhaktapur and Nepal.
The amusement park near Bhaktapur
If the end of this cultural journey does not coincide with that of your stay in Bhaktapur (and if the weather permits), take a day to visit a fun attraction to try with the whole family, namely the Kathmandu Fun Valley. It is a water park located less than 10 kilometers east of Bhaktapur and which represents an opportunity for a moment of relaxation and fun.
Here you will find many different pools in some of which you can swim among artificial sea waves and others into which you can quickly descend in colored tubes that swirl towards the water. To enjoy a privileged point of view, try the park's panoramic tower, 9 meters high.
