Visapur Fort

The Visapur Fort is a well-known hill fort close to the town of Visapur near Lonavala. It is a famous weekend place, from Pune to Mumbai. It is also famous as Visapoor Fort. A lot of people like to go on treks to the beautiful fort.

The path up to the Visapur Fort is rough but friendly. It starts in Bhaje town and goes up to 3556 feet. Each way takes about 2.5 to 3 hours, making it one of the most exciting places to visit in Lonavala.

Best Trekking Route to Reach Visapur Fort

You can walk to the top of Visapur Fort in two different ways.

•    Path 1: The better-marked and faster path starts in the base town of Lohagadwadi, which is also where Lohagad Fort begins. The second way is more exciting and fun, especially during the monsoons. It is slower and more winding and can be hard to find at times, making it a great addition to a Lonavala tour package.

•    Path 2: If you want to take the second way, drive your car to the village of Patan and then ask people where the walk starts. One of the best things about this course is that you walk through many different types of terrain in one hike.

For example, you walk through a thick forest, cross several waterfalls, and then walk straight up a running waterfall for the last part of the climb. The path is mostly clear, but there are a few spots where it's not. Look for lines carved into the stone at these spots. Remember that you need to take the path next to the waterfall.

Historical Remnants

Balaji Vishwanath, the first Maratha Peshwa, established Visapur in 1713-1720. It was erected later than the adjacent Lohagad to preserve it. Ironically, Visapur, taller than Lohagad, was used to bombard and seize possession of Lohagad in 1818. Due to Visapur's strategic importance, its north (Konkan) and south (Deccan) entrances were blown up, leaving just a few houses. However, the Lohagad fort remains mostly intact.

Visapur Fort Architectural Wonders

Behind lofty veranda walls are caverns and water cisterns at Visapur Fort. Pandavas supposedly built a well within the fort.

The Visapur fort's patron god was Sri Hanuman or Maruti. To honor Hanuman, the fort's walls hold a massive sculpture of him. In addition to the enormous sculpture of the ruler, the walls have exquisite artwork representing him. The grand fort has several temples to the Lord. Few remnants of a historic Mahadev temple honoring Lord Shiva remain.

The best time to visit

Visapur Fort comes alive with waterfall staircases, water streams, freshening forest trails, and full lakes and tanks in the monsoon. Visapur near Lonavala is a great monsoon hike. The fort stays green from monsoon till winter, and the chilly winds make camping pleasant. Professional hikers and fort aficionados dominate summer.