Patan Dhoka is the northern ceremonial gateway to old Patan, a small painted arch that once marked the boundary between the medieval walled city and the open country beyond. Today the wall is long gone but the gate survives, gaudily painted and used as a kind of unofficial landmark by everyone in the neighbourhood.
The streets just inside the gate are an excellent place to start a walking exploration of Patan. Within five minutes you find yourself in narrow brick lanes lined with metalworkers, statue makers, and old bahals (courtyard monasteries) most tourists never see. The Patan Dhoka area is also home to a number of good cafes and the offices of small NGOs and craft cooperatives.