Patan – or Lalitpur, as it is also known – is one of the largest cities in Nepal, located in the Kathmandu Valley. This city has long since had a tradition of arts and crafts, of festival, of feast, and of rich cultural traditions, and its heritage has not only been preserved but perpetuated. Located just across the Bagmati River from neighboring metropolis Kathmandu, Patan has managed to grow as a large city with a strong economy of trade and commerce, while maintaining its charming, medieval feel. Home to over 1,200 monuments, Patan itself is like a museum, filled with wood carvings, ornate statues, and both Hindu and Buddha temples. For culture, for art, for religion, and for an escape to something both tangible and dreamlike, Patan is a city not to be missed.