Nathia Gali

Nathia Gali or Nathiagali (Urdu: نتھیا گلی) is a hill station and mountain resort town located in the Abbottabad District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is located at the centre of the Galyat range, where several hill stations are situated. Nathia Gali is known for its scenic beauty, hiking tracks and pleasant weather, which is much cooler than the rest of the Galyat range due to it being at a higher altitude. It is situated approximately 32 kilometres (20 mi) away from both Murree and Abbottabad.

History

During British rule Nathia Gali, then part of Abbottabad tehsil of Hazara District, served as the summer headquarters of the Chief Commissioner of the (then) Peshawar division of the Punjab.[4] The town along with Dunga Gali constituted a notified area under the Punjab Municipalities Act, 1891. The income in 1903-4 was Rs. 3,000 chiefly derived from a house tax, whilst expenditure was Rs. 1,900.

Climate

The weather of Nathiagali remains cool, pleasant and foggy in summers (1 May to 31 August). During the monsoon season (1 July to 16 September), rain is expected almost every day. Cold winds start to chill the weather in autumn. winters (1 November to 28 February) are very cold and chilly. In December and January, heavy snowfall occurs here. The weather remains cold in spring. Here most comfortable weather is the summer season.[5] Frequent rainfall occurs here annually. Rainfall lies between 1650mm and 1850mm annually.in winter temperature can drop to _10*C and in summer it rise to a high of 30*C.

Transportation

The town is connected to Abbottabad and Murree by Nathiagali road. Public transport runs daily from Abbottabad and Rawalpindi to Nathiagali.

Between December and January, heavy snowfall can occur in this area and the road leading to Nathiagali is sometimes blocked due to heavy snow.

Tourism

Forests and clouds give a breathtaking experience. Nathia Gali town also serves as the administrative centre of Nathia Gali Union Council. It is today located in what is the Abbottabad District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. At an elevation of 2,410 m (8,000 ft), it is a popular tourist resort in the summer months. It is forested with pine, cedar, oak walnut and also oak and maple trees.

During the summer, Nathia Gali is relatively popular amongst tourists, but due to its limited area and availability of property, it is not thronged by as many people as the hill-station Murree, which is only an hour away, even though it has more recreation. Nathiagali is known for a beautiful trek that leads to Thandiani that passes through Dagri naka.

Ayubia National Park is also one of the spots here that tourists and nature lovers often visit.

Scenery

The natural scenery is highly attractive. Nathia Gali is famous for its lush green meadows, deep forests of oak, cedar and pine, where fog in July/August present a glory. In winter snowfall adds to the scene. Nathia Gali has a church, St. Matthew's, a remnant from the British period and made entirely of wood. It is situated at the edge of the mountain with a nice panorama towards Kashmir. Nathia Gali has a mini bazaar. Mukshpuri and Miranjani are two nearby high peaks. On a clear day, the Nanga Parbat can be seen in the distance.