Patan (Lalitpur) is an ancient Newari city just 5 kilometres south of Kathmandu, renowned for its extraordinary concentration of medieval temples, palaces, and courtyards clustered around Durbar Square — a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has been a centre of arts and crafts for over a thousand years, and its metalworking, woodcarving, and stone sculpture traditions are still alive in the workshops lining its narrow alleys. Patan Museum, occupying a beautifully restored royal palace, is considered one of the finest museums in Asia.