Baramulla is small, and most travellers pass through on the way to Gulmarg or further west. But a half-day in town rewards anyone with an interest in Kashmir's layered history. Walk the riverbank in the old town for the traditional wooden houses with carved balconies; visit the historic St Joseph's Catholic Church, one of the oldest in the valley; and cross the old wooden bridge over the Jhelum to the bazaar on the south bank. The town's mix of Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Christian shrines reflects its position as a frontier town between the Kashmir Valley and the plains.