Kathmandu

Located in the Kathmandu Valley, Kathmandu happens to be the capital city of Nepal. It is also the biggest city in the country. Two other cities, Bhaktapur and Patan, are also nestled in the same valley. The natives of Kathmandu are referred to as Newars. Nepal Bhasa is widely spoken by the natives over there. This language is also spoken outside the capital of Nepal, even though Nepali is the lingua franca in Nepal.

The picturesque city of Kathmandu in Nepal is located 2230 m above the sea level, making it one of the high-altitude best world cities. About 0.5 million inhabitants reside in Kathmandu.

This city is regarded among the best cities in Asia with regards to its historic past and tourism. The history of Kathmandu dates back to 100 BC. Historical evidences recovered after excavation point out that the four mound-like structures or stupas around Patan might have been raised by the daughter of the famous Mauryan king Asoka the Great in the 3rd century BC.

The Kirats are said to have been the first authenticated rulers of the city. The traces of that dynasty have been found in remote places of Patan. Next came the Licchavi Dynasty that was closely attached to the Gupta Dynasty of India. The earliest inscription of the Licchavi Dynasty go back to 464 AD. The Malla Dynasty started the trend of having Newars as rulers. They were the autocratic rulers of the valley until the 17th century when the Shah Dynasty spearheaded by Prithvi Narayan Shah took over. Nepal as is seen today was built mainly during the tenure of the Shah Dynasty.

Modern day Kathmandu is comprised of two primary cities – Kathmandu itself and Lalitpur. These two cities are located in close proximity to each other while Bhaktapur is tucked away under the eastern foothills.

Kathmandu houses most of the administrative landmarks of Nepal, including foreign embassies, public sector offices, corporate buildings and the King's residence. Tourism in Nepal is largely centered around Kathmandu. This city is featured with a number of star-rated as well as budget hotels. There are casinos, nightclubs and other places of entertainment as well.