Punakha Dzong in western Bhutan it’s often considered the most beautiful Dzong in the country, it is also the most important Dzong in Bhutanese history.
Punakha was the capital of Bhutan from 1637 to 1907, and the first national assembly was hosted here in 1953. It is the second oldest and second largest dzong in all of Bhutan and one of the most majestic and famous structures in the country. It took only about a year to finish the building of this Dzong, but by far the most impressive thing about this Dzong is that it was built without the use of nails, not even one.
Most of Bhutan’s national treasures are kept inside this Dzong, and it was here that the King of Bhutan His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his beautiful wife, the Queen of Bhutan Jetsun Pema got married in October 2011.
The Punakha Dzong is by far the most famous sight in Bhutan, at par with The Tiger’s Nest in Paro, so it´s easy to understand why the Punakha Dzong it´s one of the top three sights in Bhutan, the two others being the Tiger Nest Monastery and Dochula Pass.
Punakha Dzong is 180m long and 72m wide, and the Utse (central tower) is six stories high. The Dzong is located between the two major rivers in Bhutan, the Pho Chhu (pho means male) and Mo Chhu (mo means female). Therefore the only way to access the Dzong is to cross the Bazam (bridge) which was rebuilt in 2008 after the original 17th-century bridge was washed away during a flood in 1958.