Durbar Square

A CITY WHERE EVERYTHING HAS A MEANING AND TAKES ON A NEW MEANING (NEPAL)

Kathmandu – From the very beginning the city keeps surprising. Ever changing scenes, people, expressions, noises, colours, the fascinating rituals. You go through a narrow street and suddenly it opens up to the majestic jaw dropping view. The hidden spellbounding courtyards, the shabby nooks that offers the best street food you can imagine. For the authentic experience, book a secret food tour: exposing the locals’ best hideouts with the Backstreet Academy. Just wander around the Durbar Square or Boudhanah Stupa and experience what Kathmandu has to offer.

The magnificent architecture, temples, the images of cheerful kids running around the square and chasing pigeons, the sound of bells, monkeys climbing the stupa dome. Kathmandu is also a residence of the living goddess Kumari. In Nepal, a Kumari is a pre-pubescent girl selected from the clan of the Nepalese Newari community and is believed to be the incarnation of Taleju. She lives in the Kumari Ghar - a palace in the centre of the city (Kathamndu Durbar Square).

This is a place so captivating in every sense. Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most important religious sites for devotees of Shiva. You can see and smell death, literally. On raised along the Bagmati River platforms, cremation of Hindus take place. At the same time, the temples scuplures show the hindu gods and goddesses in the act of love. Unconventional combinations and constant movement. Here everything has a meaning and takes on a new meaning.

KATHMANDU - THE FASCINATING CAPITAL OF BEAUTY AND CHAOS (NEPAL)

KATHMANDU - THE BEAUTY OF CHAOS

My dad knew Nepal only from books written by Krzysztof Wielicki (Polish alpine and high attitude climber - the fifth man to climb all fourteen eight-thousanders and was the first ever to climb Mount Everest in winter) but I knew that for me that would not be enough…

The country’s only international airport is Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) which means that your first stop in Nepal, whether you want or not, is Kathmandu. On a side note, TIA is one of the riskiest airports in the world and was ranked the second worst airport in Asia. The capital of the supposedly pristine mountain nation of Nepal is actually ranked the second most polluted city in the world too. I know, it does not sound like a good beginning…

Kathmandu is manic & congested. Dust floating in the air and everywhere motorcycles. Thousands of them. It can be quite exhausting. But the city is in itself is endlessly fascinating. Just around the corner, in the courtyard, you can soak up the history and magic of the city. Stepping into Kathmandu gives you an opportunity to travel back in time. The hidden medieval temples, the majestic Durbar Sq. and the surrounding backstreets, the sounds, smells, the taste of the steamed momos, the infiltrating spirituality, it all makes Kathmandu the most enchanting places on the planet Earth that is absolutely worth taking the risk.