UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
From many sites in Nepal, UNESCO has included ten of them into the list of World Heritage Sites from both natural as well as cultural sites. Out of the eight cultural heritage sites, seven of them, which esteem the Kathmandu Valley, are within the distance of 20 kilometres. Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, Bouddhanath Stupa, Changu Narayan Temple are within the valley whereas the birth place of Lord Buddha, Lumbini is the only cultural Heritage site outside the valley. Everest (Sagarmatha) National Park and Chitwan National Park are the two natural heritage sites.

Cultural Heritage Site
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Patan Durbar Square
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Changu Narayan Temple
Swayambhunath Stupa
Pashupatinath Temple
Lumbini
Bouddhanath Stupa

Natural Heritage Site
Chitwan National Park
Sagarmatha National Park

Kathmandu Durbar Square: The seat of crowned heads till the last century, Kathmandu Durbar Square is a wondrous bunch of ancient temples, palaces, courtyards and streets. The most remarkable among them are the Hanumandhoka palace complex, Kumari house and the Taleju temple. Even to date, all major state and social ceremonies including the solemnization of coronations are carried out in one or the other courtyards within this complex. The royal commune presently houses three museums. The monuments in and around the area are so fascinating that each appears more wondrous than the one next to it. Kasthamandap the rest house is said to have been built with the wood of a single tree and is the source from which the Kathmandu Valley got its name.

Patan Durbar Square: No where else can be seen such a compression of impressive monuments within a limited space like in the Patan Durbar Square. Besides the old royal palace what dominates all others in elegance and splendor in this complex is the 17th century Krishna Mandir. Entirely made of stone this shikhara-style structure with 21 pinnacle is dedicated to Lord Krishna, a rescuer deity in Hindu pantheon and it is equally noted for rare stone carvings on its walls which describe various episodes of the epic wars of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Other landmarks within the Square are Tusha-hity (water spout), Sundari Chowk, Taleju Temple and the Keshav Narayan Chowk. The Hiranyavarna Mahavihar (Golden temple), Rudravarna Mahavihar and the terra-cotta temple of Mahabouddha are other tourist attractions in the surrounding area.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square: Along with the Valley's three Durbar Squares Bhaktapur Durbar Square is the greatest preserved one. Still originate the medieval atmosphere, this marvelous palatial complex has its charms in such arty masterpieces as the 55 Windows Palace, the Golden Gate, Golden Spout, the Taleju temple compound and Nyatapola-the Five-Storied temple -in the close by Taumadhi Square. The 15th-century Dattatreya temple and the world famous Peacock Window at Tachapal, the terra-cotta windows at Tahamala and Nepal's largest Shiva Lingum at Hanumanghat are also there to keep guests captivated.

Changu Narayan Temple: A calm hilltop some six km north of Bhaktapur, the Changu Narayan temple which is devoted to Lord Vishnu the Preserver boast of being the oldest pagoda in Nepal. Furthermore, it in its brick-paved ground houses a stone inscription which dated 424 AD is believed to be the oldest of all such written records. While the two-storied temple's main entrance is an excellent example of metal art. The art-works spotted in and around the enclave embody ancient craftsmen's perfect proficiency in wood, stone and metal.

Swayambhunath Stupa: The history of the Valley, according to the legends, begins with Swayambhu or the "the self-existent". One of the world's oldest Buddhist shrines, the stupa elegance a hilltop 77 meters above the valley base. Situated 6 km to the west of the city-center, this huge dome-like construction is prevailed by 13 gilded rings representing 13 Heavens and an detailed canopy.

Pashupatinath temple: One of the most blessed Hindu shrines in the world, Pashupatinath lies 5 km northeast of Kathmandu. The two-storied pagoda houses a sacred lingum or the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva. Even though the temple dates back to the 4th century it was brought into its current shape in the early 18th century. The temple is most distinguished for its gold-plated roofs and silver-coated doors.

Lumbini: Lumbini is the sacred birthplace of Lord Buddha-the apostle of peace. The enlightened one was born here over 2,500 years ago. The bits and pieces worth seeing here are the spotted ruins dating back to the days of the Buddha. The remains of historic palaces, monasteries, temples and above all, a stone post set aside by India's great King Ashoka to pin down the exact birthplace of the Buddha are here to take you back by ages. Many countries including China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the USA and Vietnam have built their monasteries and stupas in the locale. Lumbini is a recent addition in the list of Nepal's World Heritage sites.

Bouddhanath Stupa: Besides known by Khasti, Bouddhanath Stupa is one of the world's largest stupas. The distinctive feature of this great Buddhist monument is that it is position in the octagonal Mandala drawing. Hundreds of prayer wheels and the 108 images of the Buddha set into the niches around this huge structure makes it even more mesmerizing. Another noteworthy part of the area is the presence of about four dozen monasteries around it. Bouddha lies some 6 km to the east of the city center.

Royal Chitwan National Park: Royal Chitwan National Park which is 932 sq km in size covers a unspoiled area with a only one of its kind of ecosystem having significant value to the world, containing the Churiya hills, ox-bow lakes and flood plains. Approximately 70% of the parks vegetation is forest. The remaining vegetation include grassland, riverside forest and pine forest. There are more than 43 species of mammals in the park. It is highly noted for the endangered great One-horned rhinoceros, Royal Bengal tiger, Gharial crocodile, gaur, wild elephant, four-horned antelope, striped hyena, pangolin and Gangetic dolphin. Other animals found in the park include the hog deer, barking deer, sloth bear, palm civet, langur and rhesus monkey. There are over 450 species of birds in the park. Among the endangered birds are the Bengal florican, giant hornbill, lesser florican, black stork and white stork. Common birds seen in the park include the peafowl, red jungle fowl and different species of egrets, herons, kingfishers, flycatchers and woodpeckers. More than 45 species of amphibians and reptiles have been recorded in the park, some of which are the marsh crocodile, cobra, green pit viper and various species of frogs and tortoises.

Sagarmatha National Park: Sagarmatha National Park 1,148 sq km in area takes in Mt. Everest (8,848 m) the highest summit on earth. Sagarmatha is rugged, with deep gorges, glaciers and nonnegotiable ice and rock faces. Locally known as the 'Khumbu', it is the home of the famous Sherpa people. Vegetation here includes pine and hemlock forests, fir, juniper, birch and rhododendron woods, scrub and alpine plant communities, and bare rock and snow. Wild animals that roam in this park are the Himalayan tahr, ghoral, serow and musk deer. The snow leopard and Himalayan black bear are present but rarely sighted. This is also home to the weasel, marten, Himalayan mouse hare (pika), jackal, and langur monkey.

World's 8 Highest Mountains

Nepal is also known as land of Himalayas world over. There are 1,310 peaks above 6000 meters of which 238 are already opened for climbing. Likewise, out of fourteen 8000 meters above peaks eight of them including the highest peak in the world the Mount Everest lie in Nepal Himalaya region. Other seven are namely Kanchanjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Annapurna.

Mt. Everest
Mount Everest the highest mountain in the world measuring 8,848 m(29,028 feet) in elevation. It was first climbed on May 29, 1953 by a New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal. Mount Everest is also known by the Tibetan name Chomolangma (Goddess Mother of the Snows) and by the Nepali name Sagarmatha (Mother of the Universe).

Climbing on Everest is very strictly regulated by both the Nepalese and Chinese governments. Climbing Everest and Treks to Everest Base Camp are becoming increasingly popular on both the north and south sides of the mountain.

Kanchanjunga
Kanchanjunga (8,586m) is the third highest mountain in the world. From 1838 until 1849, it was believed to be the highest. It is an enormous mountain mass and many satellite peaks rise from its narrow icy ridges. It is located on the border of Nepal and Sikkim just 46 miles northwest of Darjeeling. It is the most easterly of the great 8,000-meter peaks of the Himalaya.

Though not successfully climbed until 1955, it was first attempted in 1905. The successful British expedition of 1955 set the standard by stopping a few feet short of the actual summit, in honor of the local religion.

Lhotse
Lhotse (8,516m) is the fourth highest mountain in the world. Its long east-west crest is located immediately south of Mount Everest and the summits of the two mountains are connected by the South Col a vertical ridge that never drops below 8,000 meters. Lhotse is sometimes mistakenly identified as the south peak of the Everest massif. No serious attention was turned to climbing Lhotse until after Everest had finally been ascended. Lhotse was first climbed in 1956 by two Swiss, Fritz Luchsinger and Ernest Reiss.In addition to the main summit, there are two subsidiary peaks, Lhotse Shar, which is immediately east of the main summit, and Nuptse, a high peak on the mountain’s west ridge.

Makalu
Makalu (8,463m) is the fifth highest mountain in the world. It is an isolated peak, located just 14 miles east of Mount Everest. Its size alone is impressive but its structure that of a perfect pyramid with four sharp ridges makes this mountain all the more spectacular.

It has proved to be a challenging climb as only five of its first sixteen attempts were successful. Previously, it had been admired and studied by several Everest parties but like so many other giants in the Khumbu region it was not attempted until the summit of Everest had been attained in 1954. A French group first climbed Makalu in the year 1955.
Chomo Lonzo (25,650 ft.) is a subsidiary peak of Makalu rising just north of the higher summit separated by a narrow saddle.

Cho Oyu
Cho Oyu (8,201m) is the sixth highest mountain in the world located a short distance to the west from Everest and Lhotse (the fourth highest) in the Khumbu region of Eastern Nepal along the Tibetan border. Its towering peak stands with Everest well above the surrounding mountains. It became a familiar landmark to climbers ascending Everest’s north face. Just west of Cho Oyu is the Nangpa La, a 19,000-foot glacier pass and the main trade route between the Khumbu Sherpas and Tibet. Cho Oyu’s proximity to the Nangpa La has earned it the distinction among some climbers as being the easiest 8,000 meter peak. It was the third such peak climbed and the first climbed in autumn by two Austrian.

Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri (8,167m) whose name means White Mountain, is the seventh highest mountain in the world. It is an enormous Himalayan massif, located in north central Nepal. It is the highest mountain located entirely within Nepal. After its discovery by the western world in 1808, it replaced Ecuador’s Chimborazo (20,561 ft.) as the postulated highest mountain in the world. It maintained this standing for nearly 30 years, until the discovery of Kanchanjunga which was then falsely believed to be the world’s highest mountain.

Dhaulagiri’s crest stretches for thirty miles lending structure to an otherwise tangled topography of twisting ridges, glaciers, and ice falls. Along the main crest, several pyramid-shaped peaks rise. Four of these summits, numbered from east to west rise above 25,000 feet.

Manaslu
Manaslu (8,163m) is the high peak of the Gorkha massif and is the eighth highest mountain in the world. It is located about forty miles east of Annapurna the tenth highest mountain. The mountain’s long ridges and valley glaciers offer feasible approaches from all directions and it culminates in a peak that towers steeply above its surrounding landscape and is a dominant feature when seen from afar. The name Manaslu is derived from the Sanskrit word Manasa and can be roughly translated as Mountain of the Spirit.

Annapurna
Annapurna (8091m) is an enormous Himalayan massif the tenth highest mountain in the world. In 1950 it became the first 8,000 meter mountain to be successfully climbed. It is located east of a great gorge cut through the Himalaya by the Kali Gandaki river. The mountain has glaciers on its western and northwestern slopes which drain into this gorge.

Annapurna is a Sanskrit name that can be translated as Goddess of the Harvests or more simply The Provider. Of Annapurna’s many highs peaks five are labeled using some variation of the name Annapurna. Of these the two highest (Annapurna I and II) stand like bookends at the western and eastern ends of the massif.