This fascinating memorial and museum complex 1km above the castle focuses on the former home of Russian painter, writer and Inner Asian explorer Nicholas Roerich and his wife Elena. They settled here in 1928 and stayed until his death in 1947. The couple's semi-mystical aesthetico-orientalist philosophising had an international following in their lifetimes but it is Nicholas' art that has had the more enduring appeal.
The house's lower floor displays some of his landscape paintings (many depicting Himalayan mountains), while the upper floor preserves some of the private rooms. Also on the property are Nicholas' samadhi (tomb) and an exhibit on the Roerichs' artist son Svyatoslav and his wife, the Indian film star Devika Rani.
Down the road there's a good little book and souvenir shop, while a five-minute uphill walk takes you to the Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute , with further exhibits on the work of the Roerichs and their associates.
