UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nepal

UNESCO's Description

The cultural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley is illustrated by seven groups of monuments and buildings which display the full range of historic and artistic achievements for which the Kathmandu Valley is world famous. The seven include the Durbar Squares of Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu), Patan and Bhaktapur, the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Bauddhanath and the Hindu temples of Pashupati and Changu Narayan.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography

The Kathmandu Valley is a cultural and political hub of Nepal. It was accorded the status of a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1979.

In 2003, UNESCO listed several sites as being "endangered" out of concern for the ongoing loss of authenticity and the outstanding universal value of the cultural property. The endangered status was lifted in 2007.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q970717 (CC0).

Visiting Kathmandu Valley

The Kathmandu Valley is a region of 220 sq mi (570 km2) in central Nepal. It's home to three of the largest cities in Nepal, including Kathmandu itself, as well as hundreds of smaller towns and villages.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Kathmandu Valley (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

Sagarmatha is an exceptional area with dramatic mountains, glaciers and deep valleys, dominated by Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world (8,848 m). Several rare species, such as the snow leopard and the lesser panda, are found in the park. The presence of the Sherpas, with their unique culture, adds further interest to this site.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

Sagarmatha National Park is a National Park northeastern of Nepal, and was established on 19 July 1976. In 1979, it became the country's first national park that was inscribed as a Natural World Heritage Site. In January 2002, a Buffer Zone comprising 275 km2 (106 sq mi) was added. Conservation of forests, wildlife, and cultural resources received top priority under the Buffer Zone Management Guidelines, followed by conservation of other natural resources and development of alternative energy. Tourism in the area began in the early 1960s. In 2003, about 19,000 tourists arrived. As of 2005, about 3,500 Sherpa people lived in villages and seasonal settlements situated along the main tourist trails.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q2211959 (CC0).

Visiting Sagarmatha National Park

See Qomolangma for the Tibetan side of Mount Everest.

Khumbu (also known as the Everest Region) is a sub-region in Solu Khumbu on the Nepalese side of Mount Everest. The Everest region includes the Sagarmatha National Park (above Monju) and the Sagarmatha National Park Buffer Zone (between Lukla and Monju). The former is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Khumbu (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

At the foot of the Himalayas, Chitwan is one of the few remaining undisturbed vestiges of the 'Terai' region, which formerly extended over the foothills of India and Nepal. It has a particularly rich flora and fauna. One of the last populations of single-horned Asiatic rhinoceros lives in the park, which is also one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography

Chitwan National Park has an area of 952.63 km2 (367.81 sq mi) in the Terai region of southern Nepal at an elevation from about 100 m (330 ft) in the river valleys to 815 m (2,674 ft) in the Sivalik Hills; it encompasses parts of the Nawalpur, Chitwan, Makwanpur and Parsa Districts.

The Narayani-Rapti river system forms a natural boundary to human settlements in the north and west. Adjacent to the east of Chitwan National Park is Parsa National Park, contiguous in the south is the Indian Tiger Reserve Valmiki National Park. The coherent protected area of 2,075 km2 (801 sq mi) represents the Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU) Chitwan-Parsa-Valmiki, which covers a 3,549 km2 (1,370 sq mi) huge block of alluvial grasslands and subtropical moist deciduous forests.

History

Since the end of the 19th century Chitwan used to be a favorite hunting ground for Nepal's ruling class during the cool winter seasons. Until the 1950s, the journey from Kathmandu to Nepal's south was arduous as the area could only be reached by foot and took several weeks. Comfortable camps were set up for the feudal big game hunters and their entourage, where they stayed for a couple of months shooting hundreds of tigers, rhinoceroses, elephant, leopards and sloth bears.

In 1950, Chitwan's forest and grasslands extended over more than 2,600 km2 (1,000 sq mi) and were home to about 800 rhinos. When poor farmers from the mid-hills moved to the Chitwan Valley in search of arable land, the area was subsequently opened for settlement, and poaching of wildlife became rampant.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q1075023 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

Siddhartha Gautama, the Lord Buddha, was born in 623 B.C. in the famous gardens of Lumbini, which soon became a place of pilgrimage. Among the pilgrims was the Indian emperor Ashoka, who erected one of his commemorative pillars there. The site is now being developed as a Buddhist pilgrimage centre, where the archaeological remains associated with the birth of the Lord Buddha form a central feature.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Tourism

Lumbini is a 10-hour drive from Kathmandu and a 30-minute drive from Bhairahawa. The closest airport is Gautam Buddha Airport at Bhairahawa, with flights to and from Kathmandu.

An increase in international tourism in the 2010s combined with the development of Gautam Buddha International Airport have led to significant investment in the construction of hotels in and around Lumbini, with 80 new hotels being constructed in the region in 2017.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q9213 (CC0).