and controlling all secular and religious activates in it’s valley is the elegant and perfectly symmetrical Rinpung Dzong.Built in 1646 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the first spiritual and temporal ruler of Bhutan, the Dzong houses the monastic body of Paro, the office of the Dzongda (district administrative head) and Thrimpon (judge) of Paro District. Behind Rinpung Dzong, on the high hillside, is the castle-shaped Ta Dzong. One time watch tower built to defend Rinpung Dzong during inter-valley wars of the 17th Century,

Ta Dzong has housed the nation’s heritage in Bhutan’s National Museum since 1967. The museum’s circular shape augment its varied collection displayed over several floors. From a Buddhist’s point of view, Paro was the first stop for Guru Rimpoche on

his crusade from Tibet to Bhutan over one thousand years ago. Guru Rimpoche is said to have arrived on the back of a tigress and meditated at a monastery overlooking Paro Valley. That monastery is now a hallowed shrine for Bhutanese pilgrims who travel from all over the land to pray at its temple. Tourists are usually not allowed into the temple itself but they can and should climb the mountain that leads to a spectacular look out onto Tiger’s Nest. The trail from the road takes a good walker about three houses to climb and about half that time to descend.
Eighteen kilometer from Paro town on the south side of the valley are the burnt ruins of Drugyel Dzong (victorious fortress). It was from this monastery that the Bhutanese repelled several invading Tibetan armies during the 17th century.
A sprinkling of shop decorate the high street that marks Paro to buy a packet of biscuits and some drinks before a journey.

side of the river from the Dzong during the warmer summer months the monk body headed by his Holiness, the JeKhenpo, makes its home in the Dzong visitors are strictly prohibited from entering the government building at all times during an active session. Next to the Dzong is Bhutan’s only golf course. A nine-hole circuit that is far more picturesque then it is testing. The thangka painting school in the heart of Thimpu is well worth visiting. With sun streaming through the window panes casting long shadows across the wooden slats,

student monks in burgundy robes sit in the classroom for hours at a time learning from a saffron-robed elder.
Bhutan’s national library is located close to the painting school and is also worth a look in. Housed in the library are some of the oldest records of Bhutanese history and religion.
A wonderful day’s outing from Thimpu is a visit Cheri and Tango Monasteries to the north of town. They can be reached by road but many Thimpu residents go up to the monasteries for a daytrip by foot.
Thimpu’s charm is not embedded in its wealth of galleries, museums or pieces of historic interest. Visitors must wander along the main street and into shops, all of which are decorated in traditional style. Thimpu’s shopkeepers are delightfully helpful and will do their best to oblige even the smallest request. Bhutan’s famous stamp collections can be viewed and purchased in the capital’s main post office.
Five miles from Thimpu stands the 17th Century Simtokha Dzong on a lofty ridge. Built in 1627,the oldest Dzong in the land houses the school for Buddhist studies. The road to Dorchula pass and on to eastern Bhutan winds its way upwards from Simtokha Dzong.

A temperate climate and natural drainage from the Pochu (Male) and Mochu (female) rivers, the fertile Punakha valley produces abundant crops and fruits. Punakha servered as the capital of Bhutan until 1955. Punakha Dzong was strategically built at the junction of the two rivers in the 17th Century by the first Shabdrung to serve as the religious and administrative center. In split of four catastrophic fires and devastating earthquake that destroyed many historic documents, Punakha Dzong houses sacred temples including

the merchant where the embalmed body of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal lies instead.
The Dzong has been fully restored by the present king. In 1993 the largest thongdrel, a religious embroidery composed entirely of appliqué on silk brocade, that has ever been created was dedicated to the Dzong and the people of the Punakha Valley by His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck and the Je Khenpo at the three day consecration which bought together Bhutan’s highest nobility.

looking out over the junction of the two rivers Wangduephodrang Dzong is the town’s most visible feature. In the 17th century Wangduephodrang played a critical role in unifying the western, central and southern Bhutanese districts.
Situated south of the road and east of Wangduephodrang, Geantey Gompa is an old monastry dating back to the 17th century. The Gompa itself is similar in style to the temples found in many Bhutanese Dzongs. Its situation however is

remarkable. After a difficult drive south through the mountains the road from the highway leads to rare opening into a golden field of maize and yaks. A few kilometers past the Gompa on the valley floor is the village of Phobjika. This is the winter home of black-necked cranes that migrate from the arid planes in the north to pass the winter in milder and lower climbs.
The monastry is vacant during winter months as the monk body retreats furthur into the valley.

The Royal Family’s ancestral home is Tongsa. Both His Majesty King Ugyen Wangchuck, the penlop of Tongsa, who was elected the country’s first hereditary monarch, and his successor, King Jigme Wangchuck, ruled the country from Tongsa’s ancient Dzong. The Crown Prince of Bhutan normally holds the position of the Tongsa Penlop prior to ascending the throne, including the present King who was appointed Penlop in 1972, shortly before his succession to the throne.

Protected from invaders by an impregnable fortress. The Dzong itself is a labyrinth of temples corridors and officials holding court over the local community. It is built on many levels into the site of the hill and can be seen from every approach to Tongsa heralding its strength as a defensive stronghold. Above the Dzong, a watchtower, Ta Dzong, used to administer its defense.
Although a temple originally stood on the spot, the Dzong was built in earnest by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal who midway through the 17th century, recognized how Tongsa’s strategic locations could help him in his long and successful quest to unify the country.
Tongsa is one of the quaintest of all Bhutanese towns. The towns vista is traditional in appearance as the wooden slated housed link up together on the site of the hill.

Apart from the Dzong at Jakar smaller temples can be found through out the hills. Tales of Padma Sambhava dominate these holy shrines. The valley is home to the sacred Jampa and Kurje monasteries where bodily marks of guru Rimpoche are impressed upon a rock.
Bumthang is also the tradition home to the great Buddhist teacher Pema Lingpa to whose descendants the present dynasty traces its ancestry.

Town of Jakar is the largest between Thimpu in the west and Tashigang in the east. Jakar is famous for its honey production, cheese, apple and apricots. Its arable and Swiss and German aid projects have helped the local economy to dramatically improve over recent years. A number of modern houses are evidence of the valley’s increased prosperity.
Visitors to Jakar should plan to spend a few days taking advantage of the valleys relatively gentle slopes to hike to near by medieval temples and glimpse Bhutan’s mostly rural population.