Bhaktapur, the best-preserved of the valleys medieval cities, is an open-air museum of pagoda temples, palaces and pottery squares where traditional life continues largely unchanged. A ticketed entry supports its preservation, and wandering its car-free brick lanes, admiring the famous fifty-five-window palace and Nyatapola temple, and watching artisans at work offers an unforgettable step back into the golden age of Newari civilisation.