Altit Fort
التت قلعہ
A thousand-year-old fort standing on a cliff about 100 metres above the Hunza River. It is considered one of the oldest buildings in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Altit Fort lies in Altit village, about 3 km east of Karimabad. It is built on a cliff nearly 300 metres above the Hunza River. It is said to have been started more than 1,000 years ago, making it older than Baltit Fort, and it was an early stronghold of the Hunza royal family. The fort was restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and received a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation Excellence in 2011. Visits are guided. You can see ancient carved wooden doorframes, narrow staircases, grain stores and defensive structures. Climbing the lookout tower gives a dramatic view of the sheer cliff and the river valley below.
Below the fort is the restored old village of Altit, where stone and mud-brick houses and narrow lanes are well preserved. There is also a 'Royal Garden' of apricot trees and orchards, with a café where you can try apricot juice, Hunza buckwheat bread and other local food. Tickets cost about the same as for Baltit Fort, so you can plan both forts for a half-day.
Opening hours
About 09:00–17:30
Nearby sights
- Sacred Rocks of Hunza (Haldeikish)
- Eagle's Nest Viewpoint (Duikar)
- Ganish Village
- Baltit Fort
- Karimabad Bazaar
- Ultar Meadow
- Hopar Glacier (Bualtar)
- Attabad Lake