The Swat Valley is one of Pakistan's most beautiful destinations — a lush-green valley of rushing torrents, icy lakes, fruit orchards, and flower-covered slopes that earned it the nickname "the Switzerland of the East." It also has a rich historical past: Swat played a pivotal role in the development of Buddhism, and ruins of great stupas, monasteries, and statues are found throughout the valley.
Saidu Sharif is the administrative capital, home to the Swat Museum, which contains one of the finest collections of Gandhara art in the world. Mingora, only 3 km away, is the commercial center and transport hub. Other beauty spots worth visiting include Marghazar (12 km from Saidu Sharif), famous for its white marble palace, and the alpine meadows of Mahodand Lake and the Ushu Forest higher up the valley.
Swat was largely off-limits to visitors during the insurgency of 2007-2009, but the valley has been peaceful and accessible again for years. The region is also known worldwide as the home of Malala Yousafzai.