Speckled with numerous exemplary works of art and architecture, Kathmandu Valley stands a testimony to ancient Nepal's inclination toward the aesthetics. Several monuments in the Valley have been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is the only World Heritage Site outside the Valley in South Nepal.

Like architecture, most artwork of Nepal is based on religion. Artworks range from the famous Buddhist Thanka and Newari Paubha paintings to the traditional crafts of woodwork and metal. Other art include literature, theater, music and dance, mirroring the different stages of Nepali society.

Nepali art has been deeply influenced by religion since very early times. Early art of Nepal can be seen as stone sculpture and temple architecture. Other art include Newari Paubha and Tibetan Thanka paintings, wood and metal crafts, ceramics and clay pots, textiles, paper, Tibetan carpet, music and literature. Contemporary Nepali art represents two distinct segments, traditional idealistic paintings and the contemporary western style works. The contemporary painting is specially noted for either nature based compositions or compositions based on Tantric elements or social themes. Nepali painters have also earned international reputation for abstract works based on these themes.

Kathmandu Valley houses a number of museums and art galleries displaying art work of the past and present. Some are: The National Museum at Chhauni, Museums at Kathmandu Durbar Square, Museum of Natural History at Swayambhu, National Library at Puchowk, Kaiser Library at Thamel, National Birendra Art Gallery at Naxal, Asa Archives at Tangal, National Art Gallery at Bhaktapur Durbar Square, National Woodworking Museum at Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Bronze and Brass Museum at Bhaktapur, Nepal National Ethnographic Museum at Bhrikuti Mandap. Museums outside the Kathmandu Valley are such as Dhankuta Museum, Hattisar Museum in Bhimphedi, Mustang Eco Museum in Jomsom, Tharu Cultural Museum in Thakurdwara and International Mountain Museum in Pokhara.

The art form that traces Nepalese culture from its early beginnings right upto modern times is sculpture. As previously mentioned, many carved artifacts have been found in the Terai region of the country, providing an insight into the religion of the country of early times. Nearly all-Nepalese sculptures are of a religious character. It seems that the artists themselves were greatly imbued with a feeling of religious devotion.

Nepalese sculpture reached its zenith in the Lichchhavi period (A.D. 330 - 879). Stone, copper and bronze images from this period show round faces with slanted eyes. A distinguishing feature of Lichchhavi sculptures is their simplicity. The use of clothes and ornaments was quite restrained, many Hindu deities, for example, are shown wearing only a Dhoti (skirt-like lower garment). Buddhist deities were carved to show them wearing long sanhatis (a saffron coloured robe that the Buddhist wear hanging from the shoulders). Lichchhavi period sculptors most often used basalt for their work, first chiselling and then smoothing and varnishing, perhaps with iron dust. The limbs of Lichchhavi period idols were so beautifully executed that it is not possible to find one specimen with a chisel mark. Some of the best examples of Lichchhavi art are the image of "Sleeping Vishnu" in Budhanilkantha, located eight kilometers north of Kathmandu and Vishnu Vikranta or Dwarf Incarnation found near Lazimpat in Kathmandu.

Nepalese religious architecture is another art medium that is an important part of the country's cultural heritage. There are three broad styles - the pagoda style, the stupa style and the shikhara style.

Pagoda style refers to multi-roofed structures with wide eaves supported by carved wooden struts. Windows, either latticed or grilled, are usually projecting, while the roof is generally topped off by triangular spires enclosing and inverted bell of stucco or burnished gold.

The Swayambhunath and Boudhanath shrines are Nepal's first examples of the stupa or Chaitya style. This style is purely Buddhist in concept and execution. The outstanding feature of the stupa is a hemispherical mound topped by a square base supporting a series of the thirteen circular rings.

The Shikara style forms yet another architectural design found in Nepal. The super structure is a tall curvilinear or pyramidal tower whose surface is broken up vertically in five to nine sections.

Besides stone sculpture another art form worth mentioning is woodcarving. No visitor to the Kathmandu Valley can go without being impressed by the numerous extremely beautiful windows, doors, temple roof-struts and other intricately carved artifacts. As wood is vulnerable to the ravages of time well preserved specimens date back only to the fourteenth century.

Woodcarving has been an integral part of Nepalese architecture, some of the examples being the old palaces of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur and a number of different Viharas (monasteries) around the Valley.

Two media that reveal a lot about Nepalese culture, both past and present, are painting and sculpture. Fortunately, there are many fine and well-preserved pieces that have survived the passage of time and thus enable detailed research to be made. Looking briefly at the history of Nepalese painting, it appears that ancient icons and religious paintings entered the Valley during the Lichchhavi period. Lichchhavi inscriptions inform us that traders, monks and Brahmans as well as artists from neighboring areas, visited Kathmandu Valley from the mid-fifth century A.D. The visitors may have brought religious icons and paintings with them, which served as models for local artists.

The Chinese envoy, Wang Hsuan Tse, who came to Nepal in the seventh century AD; described quite eloquently the houses in the Valley, which at that early time were embellished with sculptures and paintings. Although there are not surviving examples of paintings from the Lichchhavi period, it can be surmised that the murals or wall paintings noticed by the Chinese envy were just as sophisticated as the surviving pieces of culture from this period.

Religious paintings worshipped as icons are known as Paubha in Nepalbhasa and Thangka in Tibetan. The origin of Paubha or Thangka paintings may be attributed to Nepalese artists as early as the ninth or tenth century.

Nepali sculpture reached its zenith in the Lichchhavi period (A.D. 330 - 879). Stone, copper and bronze images from this period show round faces with slanted eyes. A distinguishing feature of Lichchhavi sculptures is their simplicity. Budhhist deities were carved to show them wearing long sanghatis (a saffrom coloured robe that the Buddhist wear hanging from the shoulders).