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Bumthang is the spiritual heartland of Bhutan and home to its most ancient and precious Buddhist sites.  Bumthang encompasses four major valleys;  the main one, Choskhor, is home to the most important dzongs, temples and palaces. Jakar Dzong, at the foot of Choskhor valley, founded in 1549, is the largest in Bhutan.  Further along Choskhor valley, the temple of Jampa Lhakhand was built in 659 and hosts one of the kingdomˇ¦s most spectacular festivals, the Jampa Lhakhand Drup, in October.

Thimphu lies in a beautiful, wooded valley, sprawling up a hillside on the bank of the Thimphu Chhu river, and it is the only world capital without traffic lights.  Despite recent development, Thimphu retains its charming, medieval feel thanks to its brightly painted, elaborately decorated facades. Thimphu is a cornucopia of Bhutanese culture.  Dominating the horizon is the imposing Trashi Chhoe Dzong (Fortress of the Glorious Religion) which was completely renovated in the 1960s to become the symbol of the capital.  It now houses the offices of the king and the central monk body.

Dechenphu Lhakhand To reach Dechenphu Lhakhand involves a short climb up a stone staircase to an elevation of about 2660m.  The imposing tall red (chapel) is dedicated to the powerful deity Gyenyen and is said to be able to supply weaponry for an endless number of soldiers.  Many of the paintings in the adjoining (Buddhist monastery) have been restored.

Taktsang Goemba Taktshang is the most famous of Bhutan's monasteries, perched on the side of a cliff 900m above the floor of Paro valley, where the only sounds are the murmurs of wind and water and chanting of monks.  The name means ˇĄtiger's nestˇ¦; Guru Rinpoche is said to have flown to the site of the monastery on the back of a tigress.

Trongsa Dzong This is the most impressive (fort-monastery) in the kingdom, and can be seen from a great distance in its strategic position high above the Mangdu Chhu.  It is one of the most aesthetic and magnificent works of traditional Bhutanese architecture, a rambling collection of buildings trailing down the ridge.  It has a succession of beautiful courtyards.

(Source : lonelyplanet)