Swat: Switzerland of east.

Swat is a district in Malakand division of province Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Swat is renowned for its outstanding beauty. Centred upon the upper portions of the Swat river. Swat was a major centre of early Buddhist thought as part of the Gandhara kingdom, and today is littered with ruins from that era. Swat was home to the last isolated pockets of Gandharan Buddhism, which lasted until the 11th century well after the most of area is converted to Islam. Until 1969 Swat was the part of yousafzai state of Swat, self-governing princely states. Swat was described as the garden in ancient Hindu epics. Alexander the Great crossed Swat river with part of his army in 327BC. He fought a win some of his major battles at Barikot and Udegram and stormed their battlements, before crossing over the plain of five rivers. In Greek accounts, these towns have been identified as Ora and Bazira. After the death of Alexander the Great, the Greeks quickly lost the effective control of their far-flung colonies and soon the northern part of the subcontinent situated west of the Indus which includes Swat was annexed by Chandra Gupta. The stunning Swat Valley has been at the epicentre of many tragedies. Be it extremism or catastrophe, there's no calamity that has not yet descended upon the dwellers of Swat.

The beautiful valley of Swat, popularly known as the Switzerland of the east is holidaymakers delight and a hallmark of magnificent scenic beauty and rich historical past. With its roaring rivers,  waterfalls, meandering streams, glacier-fed lakes, pine forests, alpine meadows, snow-covered peaks of Mankial and Falksair, fruit-laden orchards, lush green fields, flower-filled mountain slopes and above all the friendly Swati people who are famous for their traditional hospitality, Swat is without doubt one of the most beautiful tourist destination in the northern valleys of Pakistan.