Mountain Museum and Gurkha Memorial Museum

The International Mountain Museum sits in a large compound in the south of the city, with halls on the fourteen 8,000 m peaks, the history of Himalayan mountaineering, and the dress, tools and houses of mountain communities such as Gurung, Thakali, Sherpa and Manangi. One section tells the story of the 1950 French ascent of Annapurna, the first 8,000 m peak ever climbed, which began from this side of the range.

The Gurkha Memorial Museum tells the story of the men recruited from these hills since the early 19th century, with uniforms, medals, the stories of Gurkha Victoria Cross holders, and letters and photographs. Many families in Pokhara, Ghandruk and the surrounding villages have a grandfather or father who served, and the museum explains why. Several Gurkha soldiers from Nepal have won the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for gallantry, and their stories are told here. Labels are in English, and staff are often former soldiers or their relatives.

Pair the museums on a cloudy afternoon or a rest day after trekking. Ask your guide about their own family's links to the army; it is a common story here. British Gurkha recruitment selection still takes place each year at the British camp in Pokhara, and you may see young men running with loaded doko baskets on the hills as they train. Selection is fiercely competitive, and passing is a matter of pride for a whole village.