The hill station of Dalhousie in western Himachal Pradesh is full of old world charm and carries lingering echoes of the British Rule. It covers an area of about 14 sq km and is set amidst 5 hills Kathlog, Potreyn, Tehra, Bakrota and Balun. The altitude of Dalhousie varies between 1,525 m and 2,378 m, and it is dominated by varied vegetation-pines, deodars, oaks and flowering rhododendron. Dalhousie has charming colonial architecture, including some beautiful churches. Its location presents panoramic views of the plains-and like a long silver line, Ravi River twists and turns below Dalhousie. The spectacular snow-wrapped Dhauladhar Mountains are also visible from this town of awesome natural splendour.

Etymology of Dalhousie
Dalhousie is a wonderful slope place of Himachal Pradesh which was established by the British in the year 1854, as a summer getaway for its soldiers and bureaucrats. The hill station was named after Lord Dalhousie who was the viceroy of India during then period.

Nature Tourism in Dalhousie
Dalhousie is situated around 5 hillsides and is on the western side of the Dhauladhar hill variety of the Himalayas. It is ornamented by the wonderful surroundings of snow capped mountains. While on the contrary, a number of pleasing walks through the oak, pine and deodar forests around the town and offer excellent views of the Chenab, the Ravi and the Beas valleys. All these features of the area create it a perfect vacationer location. There are various tourism places of Dalhousie are: Pangi area, Ravi Stream, Khajjiar, Mani Mahesh brow, Gandhi Chowk, Dian Kund, Sundar Bazaar, Tibetan market, Panchpula and so on.

At a distance of 1 km is Subhash Baoli, an enchanting spot surrounded by majestic trees. Subhash Chandra Bose spent a lot of time in 1937, contemplating and meditating at this place, giving it the name of Subhash Baoli. On the way to Panchpula, at an altitude of 2,036 m, Satdhara is a group of seven springs that are reputed to have great therapeutic value as they contain mica with medicinal properties.

Adventure Tourism in Dalhousie
Popular among tourists for its scenic beauty and Victorian style mansions, Dalhousie has always stood out in beauty. With attractive tourist spots and various activities to do, one will never get bored of this city. It offers an array of adventurous activities not just for the serious trekkers but for the toddlers as well. The Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary boasts of a number of species. Horse riding, Zorbing and Paragliding in Khajjiar are thoroughly enjoyed by all tourists here.



Pilgrimage Tourism in Dalhousie
Apart from being a spot for nature tourism, Dalhousie is also quite famous for temples. There are few Hindu Temples located in Dalhousie namely, "Chamunda Devi Temple" at Kangra, "Laxmi Narayan Temple" and "Akhand Chandi Palace" at Chamba, "Pohlani Devi Temple", "Vajreshwari Devi Temple" and "Bansi Gopal Temple".

"Bara Pather Temple" is a 150 years old temple located 4 kms from Dalhousie. It lies in a village called Alha at the foot of Dain Kund Hill in the middle of Kalatop forest. It is also known as the "Bhulwani Mata Mandir". The beauty of the spot where the temple is located along with the numerous trails winding through the dense forest makes it an interesting place to visit. A fair held here every year in July during the annual festival of the goddess is a major draw for tourists and locals alike.

Since due to the existence of the British Rule in Dalhousie, there are few churches that are worth visiting at Dalhousie. There are four beautiful churches in Dalhousie, which are a beauty in themselves. These are "St. Andrew`s Church" and "St. Patrick`s Church" at Balun, "St. Francis Church" at Subhash Chowk and "St. John`s Church" at Gandhi Chowk.

Visiting Information
The airport at Gaggal in Kangra is at a distance of 135 km. Dalhousie is 485 km by road from Delhi and 52 km from Chamba. The closest railhead is Pathankot-80 km away. Taxis and buses are easily available from these places. Being an important tourist destination, Dalhousie has numerous tourist accommodations to offer total satisfaction to the tourists coming from all the parts of the world. The accommodations though not too luxurious, are in the range of deluxe and budget category. There are government approved hotels also, which offer good line of facilities and services, as per the interests of the tourists.