Mashobra

Mashobra, sitting roughly 1,000 feet higher than central Shimla, became a favored weekend retreat for senior British officials by the late 19th century who found Shimla itself increasingly overcrowded. Wildflower Hall, its most storied estate, was originally the residence of Lord Kitchener, Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, who invested heavily in its gardens; the original mansion burned down in a 1993 electrical fire before being rebuilt as a luxury hotel. Mashobra today also hosts one of only two official Presidential retreats in India, continuing its role as an elite hillside refuge begun under the Raj.