Inside the walls of Qila Mubarak, painted arches look down on narrow bazaar lanes, and tasselled parandas swing in shop doorways as they did for the old court. A short ride away, the same city puts on tracksuits, as athletes train on the grounds of the Old Moti Bagh Palace, with the mirrored Sheesh Mahal just behind.
Beyond the palaces, mornings start under the rare trees of the Baradari Gardens, and deer wander Bir Moti Bagh, once a royal hunting forest. Summers are very hot and humid with monsoon rains, while winters turn cool and dry. A Local Friend tells you when to reach the bazaars early and when to linger in the gardens until the light goes soft.
