Local businesses and services in Whiterun include: the Warmaiden's smithy and weapons store, The Drunken Huntsman tavern and hunting supply store, Belethor's General Goods store, the Arcadia's Cauldron alchemy store and The Bannered Mare inn. The Cloud District is the location of Dragonsreach and is the highest point in Whiterun. The Wind District is the main residential area its more important buildings include the Temple of Kynareth and Jorrvaskr, headquarters of the Companions.
The Plains District is the lowest and contains all the shops, the city's marketplace, inns, and a few homes as well at the city gates. Whiterun comprises three districts arranged in tiers and connected by stairways. Initially, Whiterun is nominally aligned with The Empire, but the Jarl, Balgruuf the Greater, seems to care more about the people of Whiterun than either side of the conflict, and so the hold is effectively neutral. Its central location also makes it a crucial strategic point in the Civil War between the Imperial Legion loyalists and Stormcloak rebels, as control of Whiterun Hold grants access to all the surrounding areas.
The capital of Whiterun Hold, Whiterun's central location makes it the province's major commercial hub. Whiterun is a major city located in the center of Skyrim, to the northwest of the Throat of the World, the highest mountain on the entire continent of Tamriel.
