If you’re considering Bhopal, it’s probably as a stepping stone on the way to two World Heritage Sites: The Great Stupa at Sanchi, and the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters. The former is the oldest Buddhist sanctuary in the world; the latter an astonishing gallery of rock art spanning from the Middle Ages all the way back to the Stone Age, depicting everything from gods and battles to childbirth and burials. Both are well worth your time, but Bhopal has plenty of its own charms.

The city was founded in the 11th century by its namesake, the scholar-king Rajah Bhoja, but it owes most to ‘the Begums’: a succession of forward-thinking Muslim women rulers who dragged it into the modern age during the 19th century. The Begums refused to follow the tradition of purdah (gender segregation), instead presiding over a golden age which left Bhopal with extravagant mosques and palaces – as well as a postal system, railways, and education for girls. More than just rulers, they were characters – they’d have to be – and their remarkable life stories are part of the joy of exploring Bhopal today.

Geographically, Bhopal is defined by its lakeside setting: the (massive) Upper Lake and the (much smaller) Lower Lake separating the old town in the north from the new town in the south. The old city centers around the Bazaar Chowk, where grand mosques and photogenic gardens squeeze in between packed, claustrophobic streets and overhanging balconies.

The Bhopal Gas Disaster of 1984 still haunts the city’s memory – perhaps why some tourists give it a miss – but it hasn’t just recovered, it’s thriving. The new city is a spacious, modern hub spilling through the southern hills, with pedestrianized shopping arcades and wide avenues lined with offices and civic buildings.

Head to the Upper Lake in the morning to see locals out on the water, kayaking or rowing, then walk or cycle through Van Bihar – technically a zoo, but actually more like a mini national park. This is where everybody goes for their morning amble, and it’s a wonderfully peaceful place to stretch your legs, get a chai, and watch life go by. While you’re in this part of town, don’t miss the Museum of Man and the Tribal Museum, which take an unusually frank and balanced perspective on the story of India’s indigenous minorities.