Lansdowne

Lansdowne is one of the quietest and most unspoilt hill stations in north India, a deliberate consequence of its history. Founded by the British in 1887 and named after the then Viceroy, it was developed as a recruitment and training base for the Garhwal Rifles, which is still headquartered here — and the army's continuing presence has preserved the town almost exactly as it was a century ago.

There is no frantic Mall Road bustle here. Instead, at around 1,706 metres, Lansdowne offers dense forests of oak and blue-pine, crisp mountain air, colonial-era churches and bungalows, and a deep, restorative silence broken mostly by birdsong. It is one of the easiest true hill escapes to reach from Delhi, which has made it a beloved weekend retreat.

Its modest sights suit its mood: the pretty Bhulla Tal lake with paddle-boats, the Tip-in-Top viewpoint looking out over the Shivalik ranges, the 19th-century St Mary's Church, and the Garhwal Rifles war memorial and regimental museum that anchor the town's military heritage.

Pleasant nearly year-round; spring and autumn are best, with occasional winter snow.