Bhaktapur, also known as Bhadgaon, was the capital of Kathmandu Valley once during the olden days. And today it is a treasured home of medieval arts and architectures. According to a legend, this city was founded in 889 A.D. by late King Anand Deb who belonged to the famous Lichhabi dynasty. The whole city takes the relevant shape of a 'Khat-Kon' or David's Star. Bhaktapur signifies the "City of Devotees", with the sole majority of Hindus.

The urban sector covers an area of 4 square miles. Pottery plus weaving form its traditional industries. They make the best yogurt of the kingdom; so it is known as 'juju dhou' or 'king curd.' Nowadays numerous cottage factories produce masks and wooden handicrafts as well. Bhaktapur is 13 kilometers direct east of Kathmandu and is accessible by public taxi vehicles including the bus, mini-bus, trolley-bus, cab and auto-rickshaw.

The city of Bhaktapur lies 14 km to the east of Kathmandu. Its Durbar Square is a symphony of art and architecture. The centerpiece is the 55-window palace overlooking the square which is paved over with brick. The history of the palace dates back to the 12th century.

Further to the north-east of Toumadhi Square is another interesting locality called Datta-Traya Square. In fact, this is the second important urban spot of Bhaktapur. The Datta-Traya Temple also built by late King Bhupetindra Malla in the 17th century is a famous pagoda carrying an amusing history. This is a wooden temple facing west; it is believed that the timber used for its relevant construction was sawed out of a single tree. So, you can imagine how big the tree must have been. The square has been nomenclatured from the name of the Deity itself. The three-storied temple is dedicated to the three-headed Deity of the orthodox Hindus. It symbolizes the divine triad, a mere combination of Brahma (the Creator), Bishnu (the Preserver) and Maheshwor (the Destroyer). The square as a whole can be regarded as a marvelous gallery of intricate wood carvings. One can smell environments of medieval period around the square. In the periphery of the temple, you can also see monasteries, Bhiimsen Temple and a platform. There are a couple of handicraft quarters around where watching the skills of the carvers is a sheer joy. The Pujari-Math Temple has the renowned Peacock Window in the laneside facing the cardinal direction of east. It is a pure wooden structure, a master-piece indeed. Apart from these, there exist two special museums-the Metal Craft Museum and the Wood Craft Museum.

The temple of Changunarayan is situated on a peninsular ridge to the north of Bhaktapur. It was built in the 3rd century and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple is most ancient specimen of Pagoda-roofed shrine in the valley. It is decorated with some of the finest stones, metal and woodcrafts. Most of the architectural wealth was put together during the reign of the Malla king who ruled the Kathmandu valley from the 13th to 18th centuries. The temple is thought to have been built by Bishnu Gupta, and was latter added to by Hari Dutta Verma in 323 A.D. The surrounding views are splendid and the temple is the living museum. From Kathmandu, it is 8 miles in the eastern direction. Himalaya peaks like Manaslu(8156m), Ganesh Himal(7111m), Langtang (7246m), Choba Bhamre(6016m), Gaurishankar(7134m) and Numbur(6957m) are also clearly seen from Nagarkot. A motorable road links Nagarkot with Bhaktapur.