Rajshahi sits on the south bank of the Padma River in northwest Bangladesh, a quieter and greener city than Dhaka. It is the centre of Bangladesh's silk industry — you can visit weaving workshops and buy silk at prices well below anything in the capital. The city is also known for its mangoes: in season (May–June), the markets overflow with dozens of varieties.
The Varendra Research Museum holds the finest collection of Pala and Sena dynasty sculpture in Bangladesh — stone and bronze images of extraordinary quality that reveal the artistic sophistication of this region before the Islamic period. The Padma River embankment is the city's social heart, especially at dusk.
The main reason most travellers come, though, is the short trip to Paharpur — the ruins of the Somapura Mahavihara, a vast 9th-century Buddhist monastery covering nearly 11 hectares. It was one of the greatest centres of Buddhist learning in Asia, and the architectural influence of its central temple can be traced all the way to Borobudur in Indonesia. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and sees relatively few visitors.