Weekend Escape Guide: Best Forts To Visit Near Pune
Weekend Escape Guide: Best Forts To Visit Near Pune
Pune’s relationship with trekking goes back decades — long before Instagram made fort summits a content opportunity. People loved the open air, the steep ghats, and the thrill of climbing structures that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj himself once commanded, long before anyone called it a lifestyle trend.
Sinhagad is where most Pune trekkers begin — and where many never stop returning. A one-and-a-half to two hour ascent through the Bhuleshwar range of the Sahyadris, it introduces the Western Ghats without overwhelming the first-timer. The fort carries history as dramatic as its views. It is the site of the legendary Battle of Sinhagad in 1670, where Maratha commander Tanaji Malusare recaptured it from the Mughals at the cost of his life, prompting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s famous lament — “Gad aala, pan Sinha gela” — the fort is won, but the lion is gone.
Standing at 1,374 metres above sea level, Purandar Fort is a magnificent symbol of Maharashtra’s rich history — with origins dating back to the 11th century under the Yadava dynasty, later contested by the Bahmani Sultanate and the Adil Shahi dynasty before becoming a Maratha stronghold. It holds a specific significance for Punekars — Purandar is the birthplace of Sambhaji Raje Bhosale, son of Shivaji Maharaj, and today houses a National Cadet Corps Academy and is a favourite destination for paragliders and trekkers alike.
Shivneri Fort has a unique triangular shape and seven spiral gates that constitute its structure — inside the fort are several buildings including a mosque, a prayer hall, and a place where executions once took place. In the centre lies a water pond and two water springs still providing water year round, named Ganga and Yamuna.
Rajmachi Fort holds a unique position in comparison to other hill forts near Pune — it is less about the altitude and more about the experience of getting there. The trail passes through dense forest, streams where barking deer and wild dogs are occasional companions, and emerges at twin fort structures — Shrivardhan and Manaranjan — with the Pawna valley laid out below. Between June and September the approach trail becomes famous for fireflies — a pre-monsoon and early monsoon spectacle that draws overnight campers specifically for the sight of the forest lit up after dark.
Keemaya and Navya, both students and regulars on Pune’s trekking circuit, make the Sinhagad ascent every Sunday morning without exception. For them it is not exercise — it is maintenance. “It is medicine for the soul,” Keemaya says, adjusting her laces at the base. For them-Nothing else comes close. The cortisol drops on the climb. The city disappears by the first ridge. The phone signal fades somewhere after that. What remains is the trail, the view, and the particular quiet of a Sahyadri morning before the rest of the world wakes up.
Pune’s forts are not ruins. They are living parts of a city that has always understood the relationship between history, landscape, and the need to climb something difficult on a Sunday and come back down feeling restored. The Sahyadris have been offering this to Pune for centuries. Show up before sunrise. Keep moving. Look up when you get there.
