Gasa Dzong

Gasa Dzong, properly Tashi Thongmön Dzong, sits at around 2,900 metres in the far north of the country and is unusual in plan: rather than the rectangular layout of most dzongs it is roughly circular, with three round watchtowers, built in the seventeenth century to control the passes from Tibet. It is the administrative centre of Bhutan's least populated district, a region that is mostly high mountain and includes Jigme Dorji National Park. The dzong was damaged by fire and has been restored. A road now reaches Gasa, which is recent; until the 2010s this was a walk of several days, and the change has altered the district considerably. The hot springs below are the other reason people come north.

What you actually see

• The circular plan - a round dzong with three watchtowers, unusual in Bhutan.
• The northern setting - high mountain country toward the Tibetan border.
• District administration - the working centre of the emptiest dzongkhag.
• The restored fabric - rebuilding after fire damage.

When to go

March to May and September to November. Winter is cold at this altitude and the road can be blocked by snow. The Gasa Tshechu is held in spring. Monsoon brings landslides on the mountain road.

Honest expectations

The road north is rough and prone to landslides, and the drive from Punakha takes several hours. Parts of the dzong are administrative and closed. There is little accommodation in Gasa itself. Photography inside is forbidden.

Nearby

Gasa Tshachu hot springs lie below; Jigme Dorji National Park surrounds the district.