The oldest surviving dzong in Bhutan sits on a ridge about 5 km south of Thimphu on the road to Paro. Built in 1629, Simtokha is smaller and more intimate than Tashicho Dzong, with beautifully carved slate bas-reliefs (called serthas) set into the outer walls — over 300 of them, depicting Buddhist deities and scenes. The dzong now functions as an institute for language study rather than active government, which makes it quieter and easier to explore than the capital's main fortress.
Simtokha Dzong
The earliest surviving dzong in Bhutan, built 1629
A story
Simtokha Dzong is the oldest fully intact dzong in Bhutan, built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1629 — just four years after he arrived in Bhutan from Tibet. It was the first dzong designed to serve both as a fortress and a monastery. It now houses the Dzongkha Development Commission and a school teaching classical Dzongkha to students from across the country.