Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rajasthan, India

High in the Aravalli Mountains of Rajasthan sits Kumbhalgarh Fort, an incredible 15th-century mountain fortress that offers some of the most spectacular views I've encountered during my travels through India.

I stopped here while making my way from Udaipur to Jodhpur, and what an impressive place it turned out to be! The fortress is part of a sprawling complex of ancient structures surrounded by approximately 36 kilometers (22 miles) of defensive walls that snake their way across the surrounding hillsides. It's hard to imagine the amount of work that went into building something of this scale more than 500 years ago.

But what really impressed me was the location. Standing high above the valley, you can see for miles in almost every direction, with rugged mountains stretching all the way to the horizon. It's one of those places where the geography tells you almost as much about the history as the buildings themselves. Looking down at the steep terrain surrounding the fortress, it's easy to understand why this location was chosen as such an important defensive stronghold.

Kumbhalgarh was designed to be incredibly difficult to conquer, and its natural defenses helped protect the rulers of Mewar for centuries. The fortress was famously captured only once by an invading army, following a prolonged siege that reportedly exhausted its water supplies.

If you're traveling through Rajasthan, particularly between Udaipur and Jodhpur, I think Kumbhalgarh Fort is well worth the detour. Between the remarkable history, massive fortifications, and extraordinary mountain scenery, it's a fascinating place to explore and an even better place to simply stop and take in the view.