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The magical hill station of Mussoorie is yet another hill station which was popular as a summer retreat during the many years that the British ruled over India. This charming hill station is located at the foothills of the Himalayas and is situated at an altitude of 2000 meters (6600ft). The boundaries of this utterly enchanting hill station also include the nearby military cantonment area of Landour and as well as the neighboring townships of Barlowganj and Jharipani. Today this city of Mussoorie which is a popular holiday destination falls under the district of Dehradun as it is located only 34 km from the city of Dehradun which is located in the Doon Valley. In fact Mussoorie affords gorgeous views of the Doon Valley and Shiwalik range of mountains.

View of Himalayas from Mussoorie - Photo credit Nagesh Kamath

History

The origins of this enchanting hill station which has often been described as a ‘fairyland’ can be traced back to 1825 when a British Captain called Young along with a fellow Briton who was the Superintendent of Revenues in Dehradun discovered this beautiful wonderland and decided establish a shooting lodge here. Soon many other Englishmen followed intrepid twosome to establish yet another summer retreat for India’s British rulers during the times of the Raj. In fact the British like in other locales around the country were quite adamant that they wanted to keep their summer retreat exclusively for their own folk and soon had signs posted on the main street of Mussoorie which was known as ‘the Mall’ that proclaimed that Indians and Dogs were not allowed on the streets of Mussoorie as well. A few brave locals like Motilal Nehru the father of Independent India‘s first prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru were openly defiant of this rule and chose to walk the streets of Mussoorie even though they had to pay a fine to do so. In fact the hill station has strong ties with the Nehru family, as Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi often vacationed here and Pandit Nehru’s sister Vijaylakshmi Pandit actually chose to spend much of her life in this magical wonderland called Mussoorie which is often shrouded in mist and fog because of its cool year round climate.

Beautiful,mystical Mussoorie photo credit Michael Scalet

The hill station of Mussoorie also became the home of his eminence the Dalai Lama after he fled the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959. Today however the Dalai Lama and the Government of Tibet in Exile is based in another Indian hill station called Dharamsala which is in Himachal Pradesh,though many Tibetans continue to reside in the Happy Valley section of Mussoorie.

You have a number of choices for your holiday home in Mussoorie and the choice you make depends on the location that you prefer. You can either choose to have your holiday home in the heart of Mussoorie and be close to its main street known as the Mall or you can choose to have your holiday home in one of the resorts located on Mussoorie’s famous Gun Hill where cannons were once installed for the defense of Mussoorie. At your holiday home on Gun Hill you can choose to preserve your privacy while you spend your days trekking and enjoying the bounties of nature in the many hills surrounding Mussoorie or you can choose to ride the cable car and go to the Mall of Mussoorie for many urban attractions of the city it all depends on the type of holiday that you choose to have in this bewitching destination that is Mussoorie.

Your holiday home in the heart of Mussoorie

Mussoorie has a wide array of attractions both natural and man-made, which are sure to please all visitors who venture out to this charming destination.

Camel Back Road

This is a scenic trail located in Mussoorie which stretches over 3 Km between the Kurli Bazaar near Rink Hall and Library Bazaar. It is called Camel Back Road because it resembles the hump of a camel when it is viewed from a point near the gate of the Mussoorie Public School. The entire promenade is lined with lush trees and is a popular spot for morning and evening walks with the local populace. It is also a favored spot to see the sun setting in the magnificent Himalayas.

Kempty Falls

Located at a distance of 15 kms from Mussoorie on the Chakrata Road are the spectacular Kempty falls which are also discovered by a British officer called John Mekinan in 1835. The locale of these thundering falls was a popular picnic destination for the British officers who were stationed at Mussoorie. The falls are located at an altitude of 4500 feet and present an impressive sight though there are some other magnificent falls in the area as well like the Bhatta Falls, the Jharipani Falls and the Mosey Falls.

Sir George Everest House

This edifice is also known as Park Estate and it is located at a distance of 6 km from Mussoorie. This building houses the laboratory of the first Surveyor General of India, Sir George Everest. The highest peak in the world is in fact named after him and the house is located in an extremely scenic location which affords gorgeous views of the Doon and Yamuna Valleys as well as the Himalayas.

Your holiday home on Gun Hill in Mussoorie

These are just some of the many attractions of this charming hill station of Mussoorie that you will have the chance to explore when you choose to book your holiday home here.