Mussoorie

Mussoorie was established in 1825 as a British hill resort by Captain Frederick Young and grew along a ridge at about 2,000 metres, so it looks south over the Doon valley and north toward the Himalaya. The Mall runs the length of the ridge, closed to most traffic in the evenings, with the Camel's Back Road looping round the back past a rock formation of that shape and an old cemetery. A ropeway climbs Gun Hill. Landour, the older and quieter cantonment above the town, keeps colonial cottages, a church and steep lanes, and has long been associated with the writer Ruskin Bond.

History

The name is often traced to mansūr, a shrub native to the area. In 1803 the Gorkhas under Amar Singh Thapa conquered Garhwal and the Dehra, and after the Anglo-Gorkha war that began in 1814 they left Dehradun and Mussoorie by 1815; Mussoorie was established as a resort in 1825 by Captain Frederick Young, who with F. J. Shore built a shooting lodge on Camel's Back Road, raised the first Gurkha regiment and planted the first potatoes in the valley (Wikipedia, Mussoorie).

What you'll find

• The Mall - the ridge promenade with valley views on both sides.
• Camel's Back Road - a quiet loop past the rock formation and cemetery.
• Landour - the older cantonment above town with colonial cottages.
• The valley lights - Dehradun and the plains lit below after dark.

When to go

March to June and September to November; the monsoon brings heavy rain, fog and landslides. May and June are peak season and extremely crowded. Winter occasionally brings snow.

Things to know

Summer crowds and traffic on the hill road are severe. Haze frequently hides the Himalayan view. The Mall is commercialised, and quieter walking means going up to Landour.

Nearby

Dehradun lies below; Rishikesh is southeast.

Key facts