Damsang Fort

Entry: Free and open access
A 15-minute walk through forest from the road near Sillery Gaon (roughly 7km from the bus stand) brings you to the ruins of Damsang Fort, constructed in 1690 by the Lepchas and subsequently fought over by Bhutanese forces before its destruction in 1864. It is the only fort in the entire Kalimpong district, indeed the only one in the old Darjeeling division, and the atmosphere among its vine-covered stone ruins is deeply evocative.
The walk to the fort is half the appeal. The path winds through a forest of enormous fir trees, their canopy filtering the light into green cathedral columns. Birdsong is constant. The ruins are not grand, having been thoroughly demolished by the British, but what remains is substantial: thick stone walls, collapsed archways and views across the surrounding hills that explain exactly why this ridge was considered strategically vital.