Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh. The British used to call it their 'Tiny bit of England.' They also had other names for it ranging from 'Mount Olympus' and the 'Viceroy's Shooting Box' to the 'Abode of the Little Tin Gods'. Sirmaur, Kinnar, Kullu, Mandi, Solar and the Uttarkashi district of Uttar Pradesh surround the district of Shimla. There are a number of places outside the town that attract attention. Among them are Theong, Rohru, Chaupal, Rampur etc.

The district has amazingly beautiful forests of firs, pines, oaks and rhododendron. The beautiful meadows with hyacinth, celandine, asphodel, climb gently up to the deodar forests and further up to rocky and snowy peaks of the Himalayas. A pleasant way to see much of the southern district is by travelling on the 'Kalka -Shimla' train. It runs on the narrow gauge and winds its way through forested hills of fir, pines, walnut, apricots and through terraced hillside fields of paddy, corn and the famous Shimla capsicum known as 'Shimla Mirch'. The entire district has a number of small streams and springs and is a delightful place for nature lovers. One can walk and love to walk some more. The houses of the locals are made of stone and mud with thatched roofs. The materials used for the roofs are plenty but the style is always similar.

The roofs slant down on both sides of the house. This helps the snow to slide down during the winters and not accumulate on top of the houses. The houses built by the British mostly used a lot of timber (oak) and were built in gothic styles. The roofs are generally colored brick red or green. Shimla is a tourist paradise through out the year. The town itself is worth a visit in the off-season when it is less crowded and can be explored to one’s heart's content. People here, like in the rest of Himachal Pradesh are simple, hard working and fond of music and drama.

They worship the goddess Shakti and one can see small temples on hillsides, in valleys, on peaks and ridges. These hillsides are known by the name of the goddess/god itself. The interior part of the district gives one a fine view of how rural or rather real hillside folks live like. The district offers something to any kind of a visitor. The young, the old, the writers, adventurers, nature lovers and peace lovers can all find their bit of heaven here.

Places to see
The Shimla Mall:
Shimla mall has come up after years of careful and loving care. The city’s main shopping center houses shops filled with the latest in fashion. This was the seat of imperial power and milady demanded nothing but the best, so laden ships came from over the seven seas to fulfil the imperial taste. After the shopping on mall, the road leads down to lower and middle bazaars below the mall where the hill men display their crafts etc.

Shimla State Museum:
The Shimla museum was opened in 1974 and is built on a beautiful ground. It has a growing collection 2000 object daret. It contains a rich collection of paintings.

The Institute of Advanced Studies:
All is calm, all is serene –just the atmosphere craved by a student of world affair, be it literature or be it politics. Here, some come for seminar at the Institute of Advanced Studies housed in the magnificent 'Rashtrapati Niwas' (President’s rest house). It has vast rooms and spacious gardens where discussions are held on different topics.

Jakhoo Hill:
For outdoor lovers, Shimla offers delightful spots scattered around. Jakhoo, having a height of 2438.4 mts (8000 ft) and 2 km (11/4 miles) east of the town, rewards the climber with glorious views of the sun rising and a magnificent view of Shimla. There is also an old temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman, located on top of the hill.

Prospect Hill:
Prospect hill, 5 km from Shimla and at a height of 2175-m (8137-ft)) is on the top of Boileauganj on the way to Jatogh. It is ideal for mountaineering. The temple of Creeda Devi or Kamna Devi has a glorious view of the surrounding hills including the toy train running from Tara Devi.

Tara Devi:
The temple of Tara Devi or the goddess of the stars is 11-km from Shimla bus stand. This temple is dedicated to the goddess of the stars on the top of the hill. It is at a height of 1851-m (6070-ft). It has a calm and tranquil atmosphere.

Sport Activities
Golfing: Nine hole Golf Course at Naldhera, 23 km from Shimla.

Fishing: Trout fishing and Mahaseer fishing is available at Rohru 110 km from Shimla and at Tattapani 43 km from Shimla. Licence fee Rs.10 per day per person..

How to Reach There
By Air : Vayudoot services and Jagson Airlines connect Shimla with Kullu and Delhi.

By Rail : Shimla is connected by a narrow gauge railway line with Kalka (90 kms) and also connects the major cities in India.

By Road : Shimla is connected by regular bus services with Chandigarh 117 kms, Kullu 220 kms, Manali 260 kms, Delhi 343 kms, Chail 43 kms, Dehradun 240 kms