The Shigar Valley extends northeast from Skardu, a long, fertile river valley lined with apricot and apple orchards and dotted with old Balti villages of mud-brick and timber. Fed by the Shigar River, which gathers the meltwater of the Baltoro and Biafo glaciers, it is one of the greenest corners of Baltistan, and historically the principal gateway to the great Karakoram peaks. From the head of the valley, trekkers head up to Askole, the last village, and into the Baltoro glacier system that leads to Concordia and the base camps of K2, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums.
The village of Shigar itself, about an hour and a half from Skardu on a much-improved road, is dominated by the beautifully restored Shigar Fort. Known locally as Fong Khar, "the palace on the rock," this seventeenth-century rajah's residence was rescued from collapse over six years of work by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and reopened in 2005 as a heritage hotel. Even if you do not stay, the fort and its small museum are open to the public, and the adjacent old wooden Amburiq Mosque is worth seeking out.
Beyond the fort, the valley is best enjoyed slowly: walks through the orchards, which blaze with blossom in April and hang heavy with fruit in late summer, visits to village mosques, and the simple pleasure of the drive itself along the braided river. Many travellers come for a half-day from Skardu, but the valley makes a gentle base for a night or two before or after a longer trek.