Overview
Shimla is the capital of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, in the Himalayan foothills. Once the summer capital of British India, it remains the terminus of the narrow-gauge Kalka-Shimla Railway, completed in 1903.
Description
Strung out along a 12km ridge, with steep forested hillsides falling away in all directions, the Himachal capital is one of India's most popular hill resorts, buzzing with a happy flow of heat-escaping Indian vacationers. For some visitors, the attraction is perusing a dwindling series of relics from Shimla's previous incarnation as the summer capital of British India. Traffic is banned from the central part of town, so walking is pleasant – even when huffing and puffing uphill. The long, winding main street, The Mall, runs east and west just below the spine of the hill. South of it, the maze-like alleys and stairways of the bustling bazaar cascade steeply down to traffic-infested Cart Rd.
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
India
URL:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/himachal-pradesh/shimla