Bumthang: The sacred valley of Bhutan

With the highest concentration of temples and dzongs, the district of Bumthang is considered the most sacred in all of Bhutan. The capital town of the district, Jakar, is an ideal base to explore Bumthang’s four scenic glacier valleys (Ura, Chumey, Tang and Choekhor) – each with its own unique appeal ranging from ancient dzong architecture and colourful festivals to charming traditional villages and scenic nature treks. Below are the highlights that you should not miss while traveling through Bumthang.

Attend a local festival

With more temples than any other district in Bhutan, this is your best chance to take part in one of the local festivals and witness a tsechu – a hypnotising traditional masked dance with colourful costumes, ornate masks, and meditative Buddhist music.

The temples in Bumthang are usually smaller than those in Paro or Thimphu, resulting in a much more intimate atmosphere. In addition, due to numerous temples (and thus festivals) here, you might be the only foreigner present at tsechu, making the experience truly memorable.

Two of the most unique festivals are the annual nomad festival (in late February), which celebrates the culture of the nomadic peoples from northwestern and northeastern Bhutan, and Jambay Lhakhang festival (in October or November), a five-fay festival featuring various dances and stories.

Visit a palace

Besides numerous dzongs, the district is also home to several palaces which were not meant for defence but more closely resemble large houses with insane amounts of elaborate decoration. Less than 1 km away from Jakar is the palace of Wangdu Choling, built in 1857 and the birth home of the first King of Bhutan. This stunning building now hosts a monastic body but there are plans to convert it into a museum.

For a more remote experience, head to Ogyen Choling in the valley of Tang. This smaller, but more authentic palace has been (and still is) owned by the same family for generations – the owners maintain the old-world feel of this incredible mansion by preserving the ancient artifacts, furniture and photographs of the place, so you can be truly transported through time as you move through the rooms. Besides the palace itself, the owners are the heart of this place as they like to share stories from their ancestors and have intimate knowledge about the local traditions and legends, making for an unforgettable conversation.

Head to the Burning Lake

According to a local legend, the saint Pema Lingpa jumped into the dark and deep waters of Mebar-Tsho Lake holding a burning lamp and later managed to re-emerge with treasures and the lamp still burning (this is where the name Burning Lake comes from). Today, this small body of water (more pool than lake) surrounded by colourful prayer flags in the midst of a smooth stone gorge maintains an air of serenity and mystery with its deep waters. There, a man hoping to achieve sainthood spends his time meditating and is always happy to share his wisdom with visitors.

Jakar Dzong

This mighty fortress stands on top of a hill protectively looking over the town of Jakar beneath it. Probably the largest dzong in the whole of Bhutan (its circumference is more than 1.500 meters) was built in the 16^th century to protect the land from the Tibetan invaders. Nowadays, the dzong houses government offices and a monastery which are closed to the public. However, the sweeping vistas over Choekhor valley and the thoughtfully decorated interiors alone are worth the visit. Besides its impressive size, a unique feature of this dzong is its utse or central tower which reaches the height of 50 meters. In addition, a walled passage leads to a nearby spring, which ensured that the dzong would have access to water in case of a long battle.

Kurje Lhakhang

One of the most revered places in Bhutan, Kurje Lhakhang is a complex of three temples that protects the body imprint of Guru Rinpoche (the saint who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan). The oldest temple features the story of how Guru Rinpoche (represented by a garuda) defeated the most powerful demon in the region (depicted by a snow lion). The lower floor of the next temple leads to a small tunnel – pilgrims head here to crawl through the small passage and cleanse their sins. The upper floor houses thousands of statues of Guru Rinpoche. In this room, behind the main statue lies the cave where the saint left his body imprint – but is unfortunately hidden. Behind this temple, an old cypress tree is said to have sprouted from a walking stick that the saint left behind.

Explore the villages of Bumthang

The valleys of Bumthang are dotted with small towns and traditional villages. The main town, Jakar, is reminiscent of Paro with one main street and shops on either side of the road. The smaller village of Ura, to the east of Jakar, consists of 40 closely packed houses and an impressive Goempa (monastery) – making for a really picturesque sight. The village’s roads consist of cobble stone, giving it a medieval feel. The third village, worth stopping for, is Tang, which is surrounded by fields of buckwheat, wheat and rice, and is believed to have some of the most beautiful farmhouses in all of Bhutan.

Tip: While visiting Jakar, try some of the local chugo – dried hard cheese cubes that are a popular snack among the Bhutanese.

Buy a hand-made carpet

The weavers from Bumthang valley are known around Bhutan for their colorful and detailed hand-made textiles and carpets (yathra). On the outskirs of Jakar town there are a handful of yathra factories where you can observe the strenuous work that goes into making one of these carpets made with yak and/or sheep wool. A carpet featuring traditional Bhutanese designs will for sure be a one-of-a-kind souvenir!

Note: While Bumthang is famous for carpet weaving, the village of Lhuntse in Eastern Bhutan claims the most beautiful textiles.