An extremely popular tourist destination all round the year, the hill station of Mussoorie in Uttaranchal is popularly called “Queen of the Hills”. And Queen of the Hills it is! Located at the foothills of the Himalayas, Mussoorie is a refuge for those who head for the hills to escape from the heat of the plains.
Discovered in 1827 by an adventurous military officer called Captain Young, Mussoorie has developed into an enchanting destination with varied flora and fauna, waterfalls, picnic spots, etc. The full glory of the Himalayas can be appreciated from many spots in Mussoorie. One of the main attractions is the Mall where tourists come to shop and enjoy views of the surrounding hills and Doon Valley. Wooden decorative items, brass statues, ceramic vases, Tibetan Prayer wheels and vases available at the Mall are very popular with tourists.
A ropeway from the mall takes you to the Gun Hill which gets its name from the fact that in the old days a gun was kept atop the hill and was fired at mid-day to denote the time. Gun Hill gives you amazing views of the Himalayan peaks. Lal Tibba, Muncipal Garden and the Kempty Falls are also visitor hotspots. Kempty Falls cascade down from an altitude of 4,500 feet and then split further into five making the falls a stunningly beautiful sight. Developed as a tourist destination by John Mekinan, after 1835, the Falls derive their name from ‘Camp-tea’, as the Britishers used to organise their tea parties here!
Mussoorie has a lot to offer adventure enthusiasts like trekking trails in the Benog Hills and the Lal Tibba. Mussoorie is also the base for longer treks to the Gangotri, Yamunotri, the Black Peak, Har-ki-Doon, the Garhwal Himalayas and into nearby Himachal Pradesh. Permits may be obtained in advance from the Divisional Forest Officer of Mussoorie for trout fishing.
Nearby attractions include the famous Surkhanda Devi Temple at a height of 10,000 feet. Nag Tibba which is 41 km away and located at an altitude of 10,000 feet surrounded by pine forests, brooks and slate-roofed villages, Dhanaulti, another breathtaking hill station.
