At a glance In north-west Himachal Pradesh, at a height of 6,600 ft Dalhousie is probably the only hill station that did not gain the kind of affection Shimla or Darjeeling did from the rest of India. About the city In fact, its abandoned remains, disowned by Lahore due to Partition, have unflatteringly been labelled Dull and Lousy. Yet, a walk around its three malls and wooded loops is anything but dull. It has, for instance, as many as five functioning churches, British-style country houses now converted into hotels, a cemetery spread over nine terraces, a beer brewery (now in ruins) and several colourful rock frescoes painted by the first flood of Tibetan migr's. For most visitors who hop into Dalhousie, the hill station doesn't stretch beyond Gandhi Chowk (earlier the GPO), Subhash Chowk (originally Charing Cross) and a day trip to Kala Tope. Which is just as well, since it has left the rest of the hill station relatively unexplored. In fact, it is still one of those places where an intrepid traveller can, like Rabindranath Tagore in 1873 and Subhash Chandra Bose in 1937, make his own private discovery. How to reach Road: NH1 to Jallandhar via Ambala, NH1A to Pathankot via Dasua, then state highway to Dalhousie via Chakki Rail: Nearest railhead: Chakki Bank (67 km/ 2 hrs), Taxi to Dalhousie Rs 1,000 Distances 574 km North West from Delhi Best Seasons Spring, summer and autumn. Winter is too chilly Places in and around Dalhousie begs to be visited on foot. Terah (better known as Moti Tibba) and Potreyn hills form the central part of the town, and this is where the bus and taxi stands and most of the eateries are situated. Thandi and Garam sadaks provide pleasant walks and views of the Pangi Hills. The churches here possess some interesting architectural and decorative elements that have been reasonably well preserved. Built on Romanesque lines, the 1863 Protestant church contains the 19th-century stained-glass painting of Jesus flanked by St John and St Peter. The best-preserved church in Dalhousie, however, is the one at Sacred Heart School. The chapel also has an 18th-century Mannborg piano that still plays. Tibet Lower Bakrota Hill houses one of the oldest Tibetan settlements in Himachal Pradesh. Visit the Tibetan Handicrafts Centre, where you can pick up carpets and prayer mats at Rs 190 per sq ft. The waterfall walk A trip to Satdhara and Panchpullah is de rigeur. Satdhara Falls is said to have medicinal properties in the seven tiny streams that converge on this spot (1 km down from Gandhi Chowk). Panchpullah, 1 km further on, offers two impressive falls.