Sightseeing and Transport

Sightseeing and Transport

In a background of the beautiful snowcapped Himalayas, Shimla provides much more than lovely British colonial structures. The higher reaches in the area of Shimla provide natural ice skating, paragliding, trekking, river rafting as well as trails for mountain biking in Himalaya MTB (the largest mountain bike event in Southeast Asia). Shimla has so many beautiful places to visit - including ancient temples with a towering Hanuman statue rising amidst the dense forests at The Jakhu temple, quiet nature walks, lovely picnic spots with breathtaking views at Mashobra, Craignainoo, Naldera and Narkanda and even lesser known spots in the city like rare books with Tibetan script (at a quaint Maria Brothers ancient bookstores) of the 16th century. Beautiful summers and snowy winters make Shimla a popular weekend trip with visitors all year round. Beyond the places to see in Shimla, even coming to Shimla itself can be an experience in itself if you take the UNESCO-historic line and travel in the train from Kalka crossing 108 tunnels and experience sights and sounds like never before. There are tons of places to visit in Shimla, it also has plenty of tales, legends and more history to tell, yet everything is just as fascinating. Starts at the properly called Scandal point, where the tradition says that Patiala's Maharaja was banished from Shimla following a violent fight with the Viceroy (other legends tell he eloped with Viceroy;s daughter). Walk along the Mall and send home a postcard from the 133-year-old Shimla General Post Office, a historic landmark building. Pass the church of Christ on the ridge constructed in 1857, the largest in North India, with its fresco and tower clock created by the father of Rudyard Kipling. Make a rest at the steps of the Town Hall, which ranks top in the list of places to visit in Shimla. Before you go inside the historic Kali Bari temple, take the grandeur and atmosphere of the moments spent in the century-old Gaiety Theatre which has been a location for many film shootings too. A visit to the neo-Gothic Castle of Gorton among enormous Deodars, will certainly take your breath away. Walk through the huge Vidhan Sabha to the ancient Victorian palace, which today houses the Himachal State Museum with its many cultural treasures. Be prepared to marvel at the breathtaking sites and places to visit in Shimla, when in this lovely colonial haven.