| It is hard to find words that do justice to | | | | rise to fame began in 1769 when Gurkha king |
| wonderful Kathmandu. One ridge away from the | | | | Prithvi Narayan Shah swept eastwards from his |
| highest mountains in the world, and thronged | | | | base at Gorkha, conquering the towns on the |
| by a million Hindus and Buddhists, this | | | | valley rim and isolating Kathmandu. |
| pricely city is the archetypal mountain | | | | Bhaktapur and Patan from the outside world. |
| kingdom - mystical, magical and arcane. | | | | This marked the start of the golden age of |
| Temples loom out of the mist around every | | | | Kathmandu architecture - temple-strewn Durbar |
| corner and the cobbled streets resound with | | | | Square has barely changed since. As the city |
| the chanting of mantras and the chiming of | | | | grew, the natural fortifications of the |
| temple bells. At dusk, the city is | | | | valley walls became a hindrance rather an |
| transformed into a cut-out of stupas, prayer | | | | asset. Everything has to be trekked in from |
| flags and temple spires. On clear days, a | | | | the plains of India and builders had nowhere |
| wall of snow-covered mountains rises behind | | | | to go but up, explaining the rather chaotic |
| Kathmandu and eagles soar majestically | | | | skyline of leaning brick towers. Politics |
| overhead on the high Tibetan winds - it is | | | | also played a role in Kathmandu's status of |
| like the special effects from The Lord of the | | | | suspended animation. From 1816 to 1950, |
| Rings, but right there, alive in the real | | | | Nepal was completely cut off from the outside |
| world. The main reason for Kathmandu's | | | | world, vanishing into legend as another |
| remarkable state of preservation is its | | | | forbidden kingdom of the Himalaya. The Swiss |
| unique geographical situation. There are | | | | explorer Toni Hagen was the first European |
| only two roads out of the Kathmandu Valley, | | | | allowed in and walked all over the country, |
| one going north to Lhasa in Tibet and the | | | | setting a precedent for the 200,000 trekkers |
| other winding down to the Terai plains - a | | | | who now visit every year. |
| five hour journey to cover a distance of 50 | | | | |
| kilometers. Historically, this was Kathmandu | | | | Tangopang is a frequent traveler with |
| best defense against foreign invaders. | | | | articles at Before your next travel to |
| Unlike India and Tibet, Nepal was never | | | | Nepal, visit Nepal Holiday Travel Guide for |
| conquered by the British. The city's meteoric | | | | more tips. |