At a distance of 32 km from Pune Junction, Sinhagad or Sinhagarh means the Lion Fort, is a fortress located southwest of Pune City. Sinhagad Fort is one of the popular places of trekking in Pune and also one of the top places to visit in Pune City.

Previously called Kondana, the fort has been the site of many important battles, most notably the Battle of Sinhagad in 1671 CE. According to history, the fort was built 2,000 years ago and it is said that the name Kondana was derived from sage Kaundinya. Mohammed bin Tughalak captured the fort from the Koli tribal chieftain, Nag Naik in 1340 CE. And in 1496 CE, Malik Ahmad, the founder of the Nizam Shahi dynasty took control of the fort.

Nearly 200 years later, the Maratha leader Shahaji Bhonsale captured the fort. In 1647 CE, Shivaji held the stronghold and renamed it Sinhagad. In 1665 CE, as per the Treaty of Purandar, Shivaji handed over Sinhagad to the Mughals and again captured it in 1670 CE, under the direction of Tanaji .....

At a distance of 54 km from Pune, Rajgad is an ancient hill fort situated in the Pune district of Maharashtra. It is one of the top tourist places in Pune and also one of the popular places of trekking in Maharashtra.

Rajgad Fort is one of the grand forts of the Sahaydris and lies at an altitude of 1400 m (4, 600 feet). Formerly known as Murumdev, Rajgad Fort was the capital of the Maratha Empire during the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for 25 years, before moving the capital to Raigad Fort. The Rajgad Fort was built with the treasure found on the adjacent Torna Fort. This was one of the favourite forts of Shivaji Maharaj and he stayed the most in this fort. Many historical events took place in this fort, such as the birth of Shivaji's son, Rajaram Chhatrapati, his queen, Saibai's death and Afzal Khan's head is buried in the fort.

The fort is divided into four parts, Padmavati Machi, Suvela Machi, Sanjeevani Machi, and Balekilla (small fort). The fort is an example of .....

At a distance of 94 km from Pune Junction, Shivneri Fort is an ancient fort situated near Junnar in Pune district of Maharashtra. Shivneri Fort is one of the most magnificent as well as historically rich forts of India. It is a famous trekking destination and also a popular weekend picnic destination near Pune. It is also one of the top tourist places in Pune visiting.

The Shivneri Fort was built during the time of Satavahanas. After the Satavahanas, the Shivneri Fort was occupied by the Shilaharas, the Yadavas, and the Bahamanis. In 1599 AD the hill fort was granted to Shivaji's grandfather, Maloji Bhosale and passed down to Shahaji. Jijabai (Shivaji's mother) spent the days of her pregnancy here and this was the birth place of Shivaji, the famous Maratha warrior who was born in 1630 AD. Shivaji spent his childhood in Shivneri Fort and also undertook his military training here.

Shivneri is a triangular shape hill fort and has its entrance from the South-West side of the .....

At a distance of 3 km from Trimbakeshwar Bus Station and 31 km from Nashik, Brahmagiri is a mountain adjacent to Trimbakeshwar in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Situated at an altitude of 1,298 m, Brahmagiri is the source of the sacred River Godavari.

Brahmagiri literally means the hill of Lord Brahma. According to the mythology, sage Gautama and his wife Ahalya resided on this hill. A cow was unintentionally killed by Saint Gautama while trying to ward it off. To wash his sins, he worshipped Lord Shiva to bring river Ganga on earth from the heaven. Pleased with Sage Gautama's devotion, Lord Shiva requested Ganga river to flow down in the form of Godavari to make Sage Gautama pure. Hence, the river is also known as River Gautami.

Earlier, Brahmagiri hill is considered as a huge form of Lord Shiva and hence the mountain climbing was considered as a sin. In the year 1908, Seth Lalchand of Karachi and Seth Ganeshdas built 500 stone steps at a cost of Rs. 40,000. This has facilitated .....

At a distance of 10 km from Igatpuri, 50 km from Nashik, and 54 km from Trimbakeshwar, Tringalwadi Fort is located at Tringalwadi village in Igatpuri taluka of Nashik district.

Located at an elevation of 3000 feet, the Tringalwadi Fort is one of the main attractions in Igatpuri region. The presence of the caves indicate that the caves and the fort might be constructed around 10th century. The fort was built to overlook the trade route which connected Konkan to Nashik area. There is no evidence regarding the period during which it was under control of Marathas, however, during the year 1688 AD Mughals took control over the fort. It is one of the 17 forts which were surrendered to British in 1818 AD.

The fort attracts hikers and trekkers mainly during the monsoon. The top of the fort looks like a turban and overlooks the entire mountain range. At the foothills of the fort is a cave with beautifully carved entrance and a stone idol of Rishabhanatha in the sanctum. The cave has .....

At a distance of 22 km from Trimbakeshwar and 45 km from Nashik, Harihar Fort or Harihargad is a small hill fort in Upper Vaitarana range near Trimbak in Nashik district of Maharashtra. Also known as Harshgad or Harishgad, the fort is one of the popular monsoon trekking places near Nashik.

Harish Fort was one of the forts in the possession of the Ahmadnagar Sultans. It was visited by Captain Briggs in 1818 AD. In 1636 CE, Harishgad, Trimbakgad, Tringalwadi and few other forts were given by Shahaji to the Mughals. Harishgad was one of the 17 strong places that surrendered to the British on the fall of Trimbak in 1818 CE.

Situated at an altitude of 1120 m (3676 feet), Harihargad lies on a triangular rock with all the three sides vertical and is approachable only from one side i.e. through 200 feet high rock cut staircase. The most fascinating aspect about this trek is the rock cut steps at an angle of 80 degrees that one has to negotiate to enter the fort. Though it is a vertical .....

At a distance of 20 km from Mahabaleshwar, 140 km from Pune & 221 km from Mumbai, Pratapgad, also known as Pratapgarh, is a large hill fort located in Satara district of Maharashtra. The fort lies at an altitude of 1080 m and is built on a spur which overlooks the road between the villages of Par and Kinesvar. It is among the best forts in Maharashtra and among most scenic places in Mahabaleshwar and one of the best forts near Pune.

Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj had commissioned Moropant Pingle, his prime minister, to commence the construction of this fort for the purpose of defending Nira and the Koyna River banks, and also to guard the Par pass. The construction of the fortress was completed in the year 1656. The fort stands as the witness of historic Battle of Pratapgarh between Shivaji and Afzal Khan, the commander of the Bijapur Sultanate, .....

At a distance of 28 km from Mahabaleshwar, Tapola, famously called the Mini Kashmir of the West, is a rural hamlet with a magnificent Shivsagar Lake in the Satara district of Maharasthra. It is one of the famous tourist places to visit near Mahabaleshwar.

Tapola is situated at the convergence of the rivers of Koyna and Solshi. The primary attraction in Tapola is the Shivsagar Lake, a 90 km long water body infact the reservoir of the Koyna dam. The Koyna Dam is one of the biggest in Maharashtra and the Koyna Hydroelectric Project is the largest completed hydroelectric power plant of India. The lake offers boating, water scooter rides, kayaking and swimming.

Jungle treks from Tapola are very popular with trekkers. There are many unknown forts in the dense forest around the lake in Tapola like Vasota and Jaygad. Tapola is also the base village to the Vasota fort famous for the arduous jungle trek. Vasota located within the Koyna wild .....

At a distance of 11 km from Lonavala, 66 km from Pune & 114 km from Mumbai, the Lohagad Fort (Iron Fort) is a historical fort situated along the Sahyadri hills in Lonavala region of Maharashtra. It is one of the best places to visit in Lonavala and also one of the popular historical places in Maharashtra. Perched atop a hillock at an altitude of 1050 m, the fort separates the Indrayani basin from the Pawna basin. It is also among the popular trekking places to visit near Pune & Mumbai.

Lohagad Fort is one of the most visited forts in Maharashtra and among popular heritage sites near Pune. The fort was built by Guru Govind Singh in 1564 CE to serve as a prison. Shivaji Maharaj captured it in 1648 CE, but he was forced to surrender it to the Mughals in 1665 CE by the Treaty of Purandar. Shivaji Maharaj recaptured the fort in 1670 CE and used it for keeping his treasury. Later in Peshwa .....

At a distance of 18 km from Lohagad Fort (3 km by Walk) and 24 km from Lonavala Railway Station, Visapur Fort or Visapoor Fort is a hill fort near Visapur village in Pune district of Maharashtra. It is part of the Lohagad-Visapur fortification. It is one of the popular trekking places in Lonavala and also one of the important places of sightseeing in Lonavala.

The fort has an elevation of 1084 m above sea level. It was built during 1713-1720 CE by Balaji Vishwanath, the first Peshwa of Maratha Empire. Visapur fort was built to guard the Lohagad Fort and it has an impressive fortification and plateau at its top. Making use of its higher elevation and proximity to Lohagad, the British troops set up their cannons on Visapur and bombarded Lohagad, forcing the Marathas to flee. Thus, in 1818, Lohagad and Visapur were taken over by the British.

Visapur Fort is larger and at a higher elevation than Lohagad fort. The fort is famous for .....

At a distance of 21 km from Lohagad Fort, 25 km from Lonavala, 53 km from Pune, 135 km from Mumbai and 22 km from Tung Fort, Tikona Fort, also known as Triangle Fort, is a dominant hill fort located in the Maval region of Lonavala in Maharashtra. The fort is one of the top places for trekking near Pune and also one of the popular tourist places near Pune & Mumbai for day trip. Renowned as Vitandgad Fort, Tikona Fort is located at an altitude of 3633 feet above sea level.

This mighty Fort lacks historical information unlike the many other forts present in the state. The Nizam Shahi dynasty conquered the fort in 1585 AD and annexed it to the Nizam territory. In 1657 AD, Shivaji Maharaj brought the whole of Konkan, which had been Nizam territory, under his control when he conquered Tikona along with the forts of Karnala, Lohagad, Mahuli, Songad, Tala, and Visapur. Tikona fort was surrendered .....

At a distance of 24 km from Lonavala, 67 km from Pune, 121 km from Mumbai and 31 km from Lohagad Fort, Tung Fort is an ancient hill fort situated near Pawna dam in Pune district of Maharashtra. It lies at an altitude of 1075 m and is one of the best Lonavala attractions. It is also among well known Pune places to visit.

Tung fort is also named as Kathingad fort. It is one of the well known forts around Pune. The word Kathin in Marathi means difficult. While climbing, one can experience the difficult challenge of reaching this fort. Tung Fort was built by the rulers of the Adilshahi dynasty before 1600 CE. However it was later occupied by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj of the Maratha Empire. It is a small fortification and supported around 200 soldiers only. This fort served as a watchtower in the past because the site offers a panoramic view of the Maval region of Pawna and Mulshi valley. .....

At a distance of 16 km from Tung Fort, 25 km from Lonavala and 32 km from Lohagad Fort, Korigad, also called Koraigad, is a hill fort in Pune district of Maharashtra. Situated at an altitude of 929 m, Korigad is one of the popular forts near Lonavala and also one of the famous weekend getaways from Pune and Mumbai, well known for trekking.

Its date of construction is not known but likely predates 1500 AD. This fort was taken over into his kingdom by Chhatrapati Shivaji along with the forts of Lohagad, Visapur, Tung and Tikona in 1657 AD. Later in 1818 AD this fort went under the British reign. The fort is in good condition and well maintained. There are many cannons, temples and small caves on the fort.

On the top of the fort is a huge plateau. There is temple of Goddess Korai Devi on the fort and the idol of Korai Devi is around 4 feet. This temple has been renovated recently. There are many bastions on the Southern side .....

At a distance of 8 km from Khandala Railway Station and 10 km from Lonavala Railway Station, Duke's Nose is one of the popular viewpoints situated near INS Shivaji in Lonavala. It is a popular place for trekking in Maharashtra and also it is one of the top things to do in Lonavala.

Duke's Nose is named after the Duke of Wellington, owing to its resemblance to the nose of Duke in a reclining position. The cliff is pointed like a snakes hood and hence the name Nagphani. The high altitude of this place makes it a wonderful vantage point. This site is also popular for thrilling activities like trekking, hiking and rock climbing, which attract many adventure enthusiasts. A very steep climb up rocky outcrops enables the tourists to reach the site. Although the cliffs are very steep, the rock at the top is flat and enables tourists to walk along the sides.

Duke's Nose is an ideal getaway from Mumbai or Pune for a one day trip. There are two trekking routes to reach Nagphani, one .....

At a distance of 15 km from Lonavala, 15 km from Khandala, 82 km from Mumbai & 82 km from Pune, Rajmachi Fort is an ancient fort situated in Pune district of Maharashtra. It is one of the popular tourist places near Mumbai for trekking and also among the best places to visit in Lonavala. This famous fort in Maharashtra lies at an altitude of 2710 feet. This is a protected monument and is among the most popular historical places to visit near Pune & Mumbai.

Historically, Rajmachi fort was a strategic fort to control Bor Ghat (between Khopoli and Khandala on Mumbai-Pune route) which was a historical trade route. It is one of the ideal one day trip near Mumbai. The fort complex was originally constructed by the Satavahanas. In 1657 CE, Shivaji Maharaj captured this fort along with other neighbouring forts from the Adilshahi ruler of Bijapur. In 1704 CE, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb captured .....