This is undoubtedly romance personified. Located in the heart of the Kashmir Valley, Srinagar is much more than multi-coloured houseboats moving through the Dal Lake and the snow clad Himalayas that seem to peek wherever you look. It is turbulent, no doubt, but you'd regret not visiting this city once. It bears scars of the tragedies that befell it, but it is too large to overshadow its beauty. It is spectacular no doubt, full of natural beauty, religious faith and brimming with historical events. Traces of the Mughal era are everywhere - in the well-manicured gardens, the typically octagonal water-bodies and the bakeries that lend out the typically Mughlai fares. Walk the mountain trails or sit back as the shikara oarsman fills you with stories that make Srinagar as special as it is.