What was once the ‘summer capital of British India’ has now turned into a tourist-satisfying-hill-station in the north of the country! Shimla is the shimmering capital of the beautiful Himachal Pradesh which is by far the best tourist place in the country. The city/hill station has seen almost everything from being the summer capital to the British India to being the most favoured hill station to most polluted hill station to being the best and forward government to curb the pollution – the city has seen indeed everything.
But what works for this majestic and historic hill station is the location of it. About 2 hour drive from Chandigarh and 6 hour drive from New Delhi sits this amazing hill station. There will always be enough reasons not to visit this hill station, so here are just 10 of the reason that why you must visit this hill station.
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1. Since being the summer capital of the pre-independent India, Shimla was the place where the leaders of that era decided to divide country into two. India & Pakistan however we know them as of now was decided here in Shimla.
2. The Mall – Or popularly known as the Mall Road is the main street or the central point of the city which has always managed to attract tourists visiting this hill station.
3. The temperature – Shimla has always been bordering away from the blistering heat of the rest of the country. Sitting at the knee of Himalayas, the place is relatively cool than the plains and is one of the biggest reasons why tourists from major north Indian cities head towards Shimla on almost every other weekend.
4. Train ride between Kalka and Shimla – Just a mere 6 hour journey in-between the beautiful mountains of Shivalik connecting the Shimla to the isolated Kalka hill station is one journey that would etch beautiful memories of a lifetime in your heart. The ride that that covers 107 tunnels and bridges is an experience where words will fail to explain the pleasure of the ride.
5. The Food – North Indians love their over-the-top heavy doses of eating out. And Shimla has managed to fulfill their taste buds as this hill station has almost everything to offer. From lip-smacking Indian curries to continental delicacies to influential oriental cuisines, this place would not disappoint the foodie in you.
6. Shopper’s paradise – Be it the snuggling woolen winter wear or the decorative wooden handcrafted pieces or the local street clothes, the city has everything for every kind of shopper. The famous Lakkar Bazaar is where you get good wooden articles and once done with shopping, tourists can dunk on the famous Sita Ram’s Chole Bhature.
7. If by any chance you have a day in hand and you somehow managed to wear out all the activities in Shimla, two villages namely Chail and Mashobra are 60 kms and 14 kms within the reach. The quiet serenity of the hills will make you want to move to this place for good.
8. The Heritage Walks – Shimla is a hill station which is best explored on foot. The city has barred the entry of cars in the central part so anyhow you have to take a walk which makes the city’s heritage sights amazing.
9. Viceregal Lodge or Rashtrapati Niwas on Observatory hills in Shimla is one of the heritage sights of the hill station. Built in 1888, the lodge was the residence of the British viceroy of India. One of the best places if you’re an architectural nerd.
10. All the above-mentioned points multiply into innumerable folds when it snows in Shimla. The city somehow becomes calm, cold, and scenically beautiful. It would be a miss for every traveller if he doesn’t make it when it snows in Shimla.
