Solan is a town in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of Solan district. The 3rd largest Municipal Corporation of Himachal Pradesh after Shimla and Dharamshala, it is located 45.5 kilometres south of the state capital, Shimla, at an average elevation of 1,550 metres. The place is named after the Hindu goddess Shoolini Devi. Every year in June, a fair venerating the goddess is held, featuring a 3-day mela at the central Thodo ground. Solan was the capital of the erstwhile princely state, Baghat.
It is known for the production of quality mushrooms because of the vast mushroom farming in the area as well as the Directorate of Mushroom Research situated at Chambaghat.
Solan is also called the "City of Red Gold", due to the bulk production of tomatoes in the area. The city is situated between Chandigarh and Shimla on the Kalka-Shimla National Highway-5. The narrow-gauge Kalka-Shimla railway passes through Solan. Located on the Punjab-Himachal Border, Solan is nestled in the Shivalik hills of the Himalayas.
Solan has ancient temples and monasteries, and the city has one of the oldest breweries in the country.