The Jhelum River runs through Anantnag town and is the spine of the Kashmir Valley. Its source is the Verinag spring south of the town; from here it loops north through Srinagar and eventually drains into the Indus in Pakistan. The riverbank around Anantnag is mostly working — small bridges, fish traders, willow plantations — rather than ornamental, but it gives a useful sense of how the valley fits together.
For a more scenic stretch, head a short way upstream towards Khanabal where the river is still narrow and fast.