Almora Hill Station

Situated at an elevation of 5400 ft,in the Kumaon Hills,Almora is known for its healthy climate. Almora,a small town which is built on Kashaya Hill,as mentioned in the Hindu scripture,is perched on a 5 km long horshoe shaped ridge.The town looks out over a fertile terraced valley and four ranges of hills - Banari Devi,Kasan Devi,Shyahi Devi and Katarmal. Beyond them is Trishul and Nanda Devi in the Great Himalayas. Almora is famous for its tweed's,woollens and copper and brass ware. It is the cultural centre of Kumaon and a picturesque mountain resort.

Temple of Nanda Devi: Old Almora still survives in the temple of Nanda Devi the patron goddess of the Chand rajas,which stands in the antechamber of a Shiva temple,and also in the bazaars above and adjoining the Mall.
Collectorate: The highest point of the Almora bazaars,above the Mall,is the Collectorate. This is in fact the old Almora fort,from where you can get a wonderful view of Almora and the surrounding mountains.

The Mall: The main thoroughfare in Almora is the Mall,which has the bus stand,small restaurants and hotels. Almora's chequered past is reflected in the buildings along the local styles of architecture. You can see the indigenous hill cottages with bunglow trimmings and British bunglows half Indianised with great slabs of stone for roofs.

The post office and the clock tower: The post office,built in 1905,is still very British but the main clock tower opposite the tourist office,erected in 1886 by an Indian but constructed by a British engineer,shows a strange confusion of styles.

Brighton End Corner: Named after England's popular seaside resort,the Brighton End Corner is two kilometres from the bus station on the Mall and is the most popular point for sunset and sunrise views of the Himalayas.

Simtola: Simtola,three kilometres from Almora,on the opposite side of the horseshoe ridge,is a pine-covered picnic spot. Close by are Hiradungi,once a diamond mining centre and the scenic Greynite Hill.

• By Air: Nearest airport is Pantnagar-128 kms.
• By Rail: Nearest railhead is Kathgodam-90 kms,well connected to all major cities.
• By Road: Nanital-67 kms. Pithorgarh-122 kms. Delhi-381 kms.