Hey Guys! How're you doing? I am Schrodinger's cat up with a post on my recent road-trip to Lansdowne, a beautiful town in the state of Mountains and Hills, Uttarakhand.
It was a wonderful experience, getting to know the serenity of mother Nature with a cup of chai(tea), the feeling was incomparable to anything I've ever felt.
Topography and a Brief Overview
Situated at an elevation of 1700 meters above sea level, Lansdowne has a hilly topography.The climate is calm most of the year, except winters. Winters in Lansdowne are chilling and freezingly cold. It is surrounded by thick oak and blue pine forests offering great mountain views.
Attracted by its healthy climate and natural beauty, the British established a cantonment here. It was founded by the, then Viceroy Lord Lansdowne in 1887 AD. Thus the place has been named after him. The famous Garhwal Rifles of the Indian Army has its command office here.
How to get here?
Lansdowne is situated at a distance of 248 KM from the capital of India, New Delhi. It is connected to motorable roads, unlike many other hill stations.
Other means of transport
Flight
The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport Dehradun, 152 km from Lansdowne. Indian Airlines and private carriers offer five flights per week from Delhi to Dehradun's Jolly Grant Airport. Lansdowne is 152 km away.
Rail(Trains)
The nearest railway station is Kotdwara at a distance of 41 km situated an elevation of only 370 m. Two trains run from Delhi to Kotdwara (Mussoorie Express and Garhwal Express). Mussoorie Express is the best train to reach Kotdwar, the nearest railway station to Lansdowne.
Roadtrip
This is one of the best ways to travel, as far as my personal opinion is considered. This opinion is influenced by the fact that we ourselves travelled by car.Lansdowne is 250 km from Delhi, and 7-8 hrs drive away. It is situated en route Kotdwara - Pauri road, NH 119. One has to take a right turn from NH 119 at a place where Garhwal Rifles has put a huge signboard by painting the directions on a rock. Lansdowne is 81 km from Pauri and about 250 km from Delhi. The road trip is quite steep and scenic.
Why visit Lansdowne
Lansdowne is one of the quietest and unspoilt hill stations of India. Although it is connected to motorable roads, it is remote in it's own way. The blue pine forests surrounding Lansdowne are quite a beauty. It is quite less crowded and a relatively undiscovered hill station.
Lansdowne is well known for it's scenic beauty, weather and peaceful surroundings. In lansdowne you will get a glimpse of the well preserved British Heritage Bungalows and churches. It has various viewpoints where you can enjoy the enchanting view of the ** Himalayas ** with majestic sunrises and sunsets.
Popular Tourist destinations
Tarkeshwar Mahadev temple
Bhulla Tal
It is a small well maintained and serene lake at just 1 Km walk from Lansdowne.
Darwan Singh museum
A historical defence museum named after first Victoria Cross holder from Garhwal Rifles Darwan Singh Negi.
St. John's Church, St. Mary's church.
Bhim Pakora
The name sounds funny, right? Well, the place is quite a unique work of mother nature and is a must visit place.
Stay
We stayed at a government guest house(photo included below) worth 7000 INR for four people.
The guest house was quite well maintained and had a beautiful scenic location. If you're the type of person who'd love a cup of coffee watching as the sun rises from behind the mountains, this is a perfect place for you.
P.S.: I've included some of the attractions that I loved a lot, there are a lot more. I've included some other pictures too...
