This walk traces the city's legacy from its rich colonial past. It takes you to St Andrew's Church, Great Eastern Hotel, Currency Office, Dead Letter Office etc. The areas of Chandannagar, Chinsurah, Bandal and Serampore in Kolkata were highly influenced by colonial rule – starting from the French to the Portuguese and Dutch, and later by the dominant British. When India got its independence in 1947, there were several buildings and cultural practices that still bore the mark of these influences. One can take a stroll through these areas to get an idea of how the countries influenced Kolkata’s architecture and culture.

This heritage walk starts at the intricately designed Ramakrishna Temple that is thronged by devotees from all religions from India and abroad. Nearby is the Belur Math, situated next to the Hooghly river. Swami Vivekananda used to stay here in a double-storey house and today it houses many of the saint’s personal belongings. Another attraction near Baghbazar is Sharada Maa’s house. It was already a century old, when she started living here on May 23, 1909. She stayed here all her life, till her death on July 28, 1920. The home of Balaram Basu, Sri Ramakrishna’s disciple, was turned into a temple in 1922. It was visited often by Sri Sri Ramakrishna and Sharada Maa, along with several of their disciples. The Ramakrishna Mission Association was founded here and Swami Vivekananda organised a special assembly in 1897 to talk about his plans for the foundation. At 3, Gour Mohan Mukherjee Street is Swami Vivekananda’s own house. A grand building, which is frequently visited by devotees. Rani Rashmoni is said to have been told by Goddess Kali to build a temple at Dakshineswar. This charming lady built a temple with an exclusive Nava Ratna that has a height of 100 ft. This 12-spired temple has a beautiful courtyard and is surrounded by 12 more temples created for Lord Shiva. Sri Sri Ramakrishna is said to have meditated and attained enlightenment under the shadow of the Pachabati, a gigantic banyan tree. Girish Chandra Ghosh (February 28, 1844 to February 8, 1912) was a well-known Bengali poet, musician, playwright, novelist, theatre director and actor. His house is the last stop on this trail.

This very interesting trail begins at Sovabazar Rajbari, one of the oldest royal houses in the city, constructed by Raja Nabakrishna Deb, the tutor of Lord Clive. This palatial structure is best known today for the Durga puja celebrations that take place in October-November. Some of the notable features of this monument are the Nat Mandap, which is a centrally located open courtyard. Sovabazar Rajbari was built in 1700 and is a mix of Moorish, Hindu and colonial styles of architecture. One then goes on to Jorasanko Thakur Bari or the House of the Thakurs, which is the ancestral home of poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's family. Tagore was born in this house and spent much of his childhood here. Today, the house has been restored and turned into Tagore Museum, which makes for an exciting visit. One can find several historical nuggets about the Tagore family here, including their contribution to the Bengal Renaissance and the Brahmo Samaj. Of note are 700 paintings exhibited here, along with a self-composed invite of Tagore's wedding. Divided into three galleries, the museum also houses various books, manuscripts and antiques. The next stop is the Jorasanko Rajbari with its verandahs, terraces and delicate cast-iron grills, which belonged to Rajendra Narayan Roy. One will then visit the residence-turned-museum that used to be owned by Rajendra Nath Mullick. Located at 46, Muktaram Babu Street, this elegant mansion was built in the 19th century. The trail ends at Kumartuli, a unique neighbourhood in Kolkata that is renowned for its tradition of making clay idols for the Durga puja celebrations. Located on the banks of the Hooghly river, this potter's hub is home to around 30 women artisans and many talented male artisans, who create beautiful clay idols of Hindu gods and goddesses. These are supplied to barowari pujas around the city and surrounding areas and are also exported. A few weeks before Durga Puja, the focus is on making idols of the goddess. And the Puja at Kumartuli itself is well-known as one of the oldest in Kolkata.