Beyond the Taj: what to do in Agra

Although Agra is currently only associated with the Taj Mahal, if you find yourself in this small town in Uttar Pradesh, after exploring the mausoleum, you can enjoy a stroll through the noisy and bustling alleys of the old town. It is a miniature Delhi, and you will immerse yourself in the whirlwind of the commercial streets.

In the midst of this noisy jumble of alleys invaded by street vendors, you'll find the beautiful Red Fort, and a visit to its interior is an excellent activity to accompany a visit to the most famous UNESCO monument, before taking a train to Delhi or Rajasthan.

The Red Fort is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site itself and consists of an elegant complex of courtyards, porticoes, halls and mosques.

Also here the Moghul architecture dominates, between the brick buildings (hence the overall red colour) and the white mosques, built and enlarged between 1000 and 1500.

The immense surface area of more than 300,000 square meters is surrounded by imposing walls and ramparts, with battlements, slits and openwork windows that offer glimpses of the distant Taj Mahal that stands out white on an abandoned clearing.

The most striking areas are the porticoed courtyards, sometimes in red stone, sometimes in white marble, inlaid with precious stones. The complex is so large that you will easily find some of its spaces completely deserted and silent, an oasis of peace in the middle of the noise of the city.