Shigar Fort, in the village of Shigar an hour northeast of Skardu, is one of the most successful heritage restorations in northern Pakistan. The seventeenth-century palace of the Amacha rajahs of Shigar fell into ruin during the twentieth century and was painstakingly rebuilt by the Aga Khan Trust over five years.
The result combines a luxury heritage hotel with a small public museum on the ground floor, displaying Balti carved woodwork, household objects and royal regalia. Day visitors pay a small fee for the museum and the gardens. Even if you can't justify a stay, it's worth the detour for the architecture and the chance to see what careful Karakoram-region restoration can look like.