12 Indian Towns That Feel Like Foreign Countries

3. Shimla — A Slice of British Hillstation England

Shimla still carries visible traces of its life as the British Raj’s summer capital, with timber-and-stone bungalows, a central Mall Road, and a railway heritage that evokes an English hill station. The Mall remains the social spine where locals and visitors meet for tea, shopping, and people-watching beneath pine-forested slopes. Colonial-era architecture—steep gables, sash windows, and stone chimneys—blends with Tibetan and Himachali crafts in market stalls, creating an easygoing mix of local and introduced styles. The narrow, winding roads and the stately buildings contribute to that “old England” impression, especially on cool mornings with low cloud. The toy train that connects Shimla to the plains is a living relic of the railway age and adds to the nostalgic feel. For travelers, late spring through early autumn offers pleasant walking weather, while winters bring crisp conditions and occasional snow at higher elevations. State tourism resources and historical overviews describe Shimla’s role during colonial times and how that era shaped the town’s built form.