My friend once asked me the reason why I have always mentioned Nepal to him whenever we’ve talked over about which is the most well-worth visiting country in the world. Well, the reason is so simple because Nepal is a wonderful country where different feelings, landscapes, temples, and people rolled into one, and most importantly, the country has 10 man-made wonders inscribed on the World Heritage list of UNESCO that I fell in love with them at first sight in my very first Nepal tours.
8 in 10 sites are cultural heritage, and the two other ones are the natural heritage. Have you ever wondered what Nepal World Heritages are? If yes, keep scrolling down and see what they really are.
Cultural World Heritage Sites in Nepal
Kathmandu Dubar Square
Lying in the heart of the capital city, Kathmandu Dubar Square or Hanuman Dhoka Palace (another name of the square named after the Hindu god Hanuman) is an ancient royal courtyard and absolutely is one of the most famous places that no visitor can miss. Coming to such an amazing World Heritage sites, you will have an opportunity to experience a range of different temples which are dedicated to Hindu deities.
In fact, most of the buildings there were constructed from the 15th – 18th century; hence, it is far too easy to understand why every time I visit these sites, I always feel something sacred in my mind.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Visiting these sites, you literally have an opportunity to experience the ancient Nepali culture as it converges custom and alluring pieces of the art of excellent craftsmanship in the past. Each historical monument in this architectural heritage site symbolizes medieval culture, religion, and custom of Nepal. Once there, you can also visit some of several places which are the pride of Bhaktapur such as Lion Gate, Golden Gate, Art Gallery, Statue of King Bhupatindra, Nyatapola Temple and 55 windowed Malla palace.
Patan Durbar Square
Once there, do not forget to ask your guide to tell you the fairy tale about this site. I will not talk about it here because it will spoil and make your Nepal trip to such a destination less exciting. Come and feel sacred with Patan Durbar Square.
Pashupatinath Temple
The Pashupatinath Temple, a two-story building, is considered the most sacred place in Kathmandu which converges a range of temples, ashrams, imagines, and inscriptions. As the name indicates, it is a temple of Lord Shiva – the Destruction and plays a very important role in the Hindus.
It was a little bit disappointing because when I was on my tour itinerary in Nepal, I was not allowed to enter the temple as non-Hindus are prohibited from going into this site. One more thing, the temple has been inscribed on the World Heritage list since 1979.
Swayambhunath Stupa
According to what my guide told me, Swayambhunath Stupa is believed to be roughly 2500 years old and is also considered as one of the oldest religious complexes where you can see the brotherhood between Buddhists and Hindus. It was amazing when I heard that the structure of this Stupa symbolizes the four elements of earth, wind, fire, and water.
In addition, the 13 rings of the spire on the top of the stupa represent the 13 ladder steps leading to Nirvana. You have to pass through 365 steps to reach to the Swayambhunath Stupa.
Boudhanath Stupa
The Stupa, known as the oldest monuments, is the sacred place epitomizing Tibetan Buddhism. Having the unique structure that has been built on the stepped octagonal base and inset with alcoves representing Buddha, the Boudhanath Stupa has been honored to be on the World Heritage list. Once there, you can feel the ambiance of the whole area seems to lighten up with the fragrance of incense floats through the air as well as the chanting of monks and creaking of prayer wheels.
Changu Narayan Temple
The site is the temple of Lord Vishnu (also called Narayan) and is located close to Changu, then it is the reason why the temple has been named Changu Narayan Temple. Visiting such a wonderful site, it will be great that you can marvel at the ancient religion of Nepal as the temple bores the sculptures of Vishnu’s ten incarnations like Vishwaroop, Vishnu Vikranta, Vishnu riding Garuda, Nar-Singha Vishnu, and so on.
The place also converges the temples of Kileswar Shiva, Chinnamasta Devi, and other deities as well as offers a stunning view of the Manohara river winding around lush vegetation, so come and just let loose in the scared atmosphere along with a magnificent vista of the temple.
Lumbini
Being the birthplace of Lord Buddha – Siddhartha Gautam, Lumbini is considered the holy pilgrimage site for the Buddhists and it was granted the World Heritage Sites in 1997. Once there, be ready to be stunned at the beauty of several major attractions inside the sites such as Lumbini Garden, Maya Devi Temple, Tara Foundation, World Peace Pagoda, China Temple, Thai Monastery, Myanmar (Burmese) Temple, Nepal Buddha Temple, and Dharmaswami Buddhist.
Moreover, if you are interested in Buddhism, lucky you that there is a museum along with a research center for such an uncanny religion located inside the temple for you to bump into all pure things of this religion.
Natural World Heritage Sites in Nepal
Chitwan National Park
The site itself was enlisted in the World Heritage Site in 1984. The Chitwan National Park is a well-worth destination for visitors, especially for those loving nature to visit as once there, you can bump into lots of rarest species of eco-system. Enjoy canoeing through the lake of the park, then you will be welcomed by many adorable crocodiles that absolutely makes your trip to be more exciting.
Sagarmatha National Park
With an area of over 1.000-kilometer square, the Sagarmatha National Park is home to an amazing array of fauna and flora. Visiting the park, you are heartily welcomed by the beauty of blue pine, silver fir, rhododendrons, birch forest. Enjoying the journey to explore the park, you will bump into several rare species such as snow leopard, pandas, lynx, or one-horned rhino and so on. It also could be a great time for birdwatchers to marvel at rare bird species like snow cock, pheasant, snow pigeon.
