Paro

Paro

Paro is a town and the seat of Paro district in Bhutan, in the Paro Valley. This is a historic town with many sacred sites and historic buildings scattered around the area. On the main street there are several examples of traditionally decorated buildings. The 15th-century temple of Dungtse Lhakhang and the Ugyen Perli Palace are located near the new bridge. The Old Bridge and the Rinpung Dzong are nearby, and notable hotels include the ornate Olathang Hotel. The famous Paro Taktsang Buddhist monastery and hermitage is about 10 kilometers from Paro. It is believed by some Bhutanese that Padmasambhava flew here from Tibet on the back of a tiger. The hike to the Tiger's Nest Monastery is about three hours one way, from there you have a scenic view of Paro town. The ruins of the Drukyel Dzong fortress-monastery are reached by a 16-kilometre road up the valley, which was partially destroyed by fire in 1951. The tallest building in Bhutan, the Ta-Dzhong, is located in Paro and is 22 meters high and has 6 floors. The building was completed in 1649. Paro is also home to the National Museum, which exhibits hundreds of ancient Bhutanese artefacts and works of art.