Southern Stupa is one of the old stupas traditionally marking Patan's sacred geography. It is simpler than the showpiece temples of Durbar Square, but it carries a deeper sense of the Buddhist city that existed around and beyond the royal centre.
Visit it while walking Patan's neighbourhoods rather than as a stand-alone destination. The stupa is most rewarding when you read it as part of a network of shrines, courtyards, and lanes that make Patan feel older than its palace facades.