Shimla is often referred to as the Queen of Hills, a term coined by the British. Located in the north-west Himalayas at an average altitude of 2, 205 metres , the city of Shimla, draped in forests of pine, rhododendron, and oak, experiences pleasant summers and cold, snowy winters. The city is famous for its buildings styled in tudorbethan and neo-gothic architecture dating from the colonial era.