Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley

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Morning view of Dal Lake

Getty Images/Flickr RM

Overview

Rimmed by layers of alpine peaks, the 140km-long Kashmir Valley opens up as a giant, beautiful bowl of lakes and orchards. Tin-roofed villages guard terraced paddy fields delineated by apple groves and pin-straight poplars. Proudly independent-minded Kashmiris mostly follow a Sufi-based Islamic faith, worshipping in distinctive wooden mosques with central spires, and they are fiercely proud of their homeland. It's a stunningly beautiful place, but one wracked by political violence in recent decades.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Morning view of Dal Lake

    Dal Lake

    Srinagar

    Over 15km around, Dal Lake is Srinagar's jewel, a vast sheet of water reflecting the carved wooden balconies of the houseboats and the misty peaks of the…

  • SRINAGAR, KASHMIR, JAMMU & KASHMIR, INDIA - 2013/06/01: The Shah Hamdan Mosque, or Shrine, is situated on the right bank of the Jhelum River, is dedicated to the memory of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani, a Muslim saint from Hamadan, Persia. It is an excellent example of indigenous wooden architecture that draws influence from Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic architecture. Constructed by San Sikandar and dedicated to the memory of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani, a Muslim saint from Hamadan, Persia, this mosque also serves as a khanqah. (Photo by Jeremy Horner/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Khanqah Shah-i-Hamadan

    Srinagar

    This distinctively spired 1730s Muslim pilgrim hall is Srinagar’s most beautiful mosque. It was constructed without any nails, and both frontage and…

  • Nishat Bagh

    Nishat Bagh

    Srinagar

    Of all Srinagar's Mughal gardens, Nishat Bagh is arguably the most appealing, with beautiful water features that frame a lovely lake panorama. It's on…

  • Thajiwas Valley

    Thajiwas Valley

    Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley

    Five fingers of glacier descend from a fine array of Alpine peaks in the parallel valley behind Sonamarg. The scene is best appreciated from a small…

  • Hari Parbat Fort

    Hari Parbat Fort

    Srinagar

    On the strategically and spiritually significant Koh-e-Maran hill, north of the city centre, is this powerful qila (fort), which dates to the 6th century…

  • Shankaracharya Mandir

    Shankaracharya Mandir

    Srinagar

    On top of thickly forested Shankaracharya Hill, this small Shiva temple is built from hefty blocks of ancient grey stone. Previously known as Takht-i…

  • Naranag Shiva temple ruins

    Naranag Shiva temple ruins

    Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley

    Naranag has two enigmatic 8th-century Shiva temple ruins in a beautiful valley setting that gives one the impression of having stumbled across a great…

  • Mattan Sun Temple

    Mattan Sun Temple

    Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley

    The impressive ruins of this 8th-century Sun Temple built by King Lalitaditya sit in peaceful, well-tended gardens on a hill above Mattan. The site feels…

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