Nizwa was once the capital of Oman's interior — the seat of the imamate that governed the mountain heartland for much of Oman's history — and it still has an authority that the coastal cities lack. The 17th-century Nizwa Fort is one of the most imposing in the country, its great circular tower rising over the date palm groves and the old town. The attached souq sells silver khanjar daggers, copper vessels, pottery, and frankincense, and on Friday mornings a livestock market sets up in the shadow of the walls.
Nizwa sits at the foot of the western Hajar Mountains and is the best base for exploring the high plateau country. Jebel Akhdar — the Green Mountain — is about an hour's drive up a winding road that requires a 4WD past the police checkpoint at the base. Jabrin fort is 45 minutes to the southwest. The Wahiba Sands desert is roughly two hours to the east.
In the old quarter, walk along Falaj Daris, the UNESCO-listed irrigation channel, and look at the Al-Shawadhna Mosque with its unusual double qibla.
The town itself is small and unhurried. The modern part has a few hotels, supermarkets, and the usual Gulf-style commercial strip; the old quarter around the fort and souq is compact and walkable. Most travellers use Nizwa as a staging point for the mountains and desert rather than as a destination in itself, but it deserves at least a night rather than a quick stop.