Murree Hills

Murree offers almost all that a tourist would love to enjoy. Surrounded with beautiful snow-capped green hills, tall shady trees with jumping monkeys, hiking tracks all around, frequent but pleasant snowfall, cool breeze and breathtaking landscape with scenic views worthy of photography are the components that describe this amazing small city which is rightly one of the most popular tourist destinations of Pakistan.

Located just 50 kilometres away from beautiful capital territory Islamabad, right on the border of Azad Kashmir in Galiyat region of Pakistan, the Muree has rich infrastructure with all charms of nature. It entertains millions of tourists from all parts of Pakistan and world every year.

Being located on mountainous terrain, Muree has no airport or train station but as it is just 50 kilometres from Islamabad, people use Islamabad international airport or Rawalpindi Cantt Railway Station to get in Muree if they are coming from other countries or other parts of Pakistan. It is accessible by road from every direction.

Tons of tourists come to Muree from all areas of Pakistan. It is also a popular transit point for people or tourists who go to visit Azad Kashmir which is another popular tourist destination.  Murree is admired for its Tudorbethanand neo-gothic architecture. It is also summer retreat of the government of Pakistan to host foreign dignitaries and head of states.

History:

Major James Abbott who was British army officer, identified Muree as potential Hill Station in 1847 and then later Sir Henry Lawrence who was president of Punjab Administration Board developed it in 1851 as town after giving it the status of Municipality in 1850. Muree was established by colonial British in 1851 when Indian subcontinent was under British rule. Initially Muree was set up as a sanatorium for British troops. In 1853, Muree was constructed as regular town with a church in the centre. One road which is known as mall road even today was constructed for linking Muree with other surrounding cities.

Murree had the status of summer headquarters of Punjab under British government but later it was shifted to Shimla in 1876. Muree was reputed tourist destination even in British time. It is the birthplace of many Englishmen like Reginald Dyer, Bruce Bairnsfather and Francis Younghusband. The commercial establishments were prohibited for non-Europeans initially even  The famous Lawrence College located in Muree was also restricted for local Indians.  

Since the creation of Pakistan as an independent country in 1947, Muree has retained its status as famous hill station known for pleasant summers.

Geography:

The sanatorium of Muree lies in north latitude 33° 54′ 30″ and east longitude 73° 26′ 30″, at an elevation of 7,517 feet (2,291 m) above sea level.

Muree has River Jhelum in the East which separates Muree from Azad Kashmir. Islamabad the capital territory is located in North West of Muree. District Abbottabad is in North and in South, Kotli Sattian, and a Tehsil of District Rawalpindi is situated.

Climate:

 The beauty of the Muree comes from its landscape and Climate. Muree enjoys four distinguished seasons.

Spring:

Spring season of Muree begins from March which lasts till the middle of May. Maximum Temperature during spring hovers between 12 to 20-degree centigrade and minimum 4 to 10-degree centigrade. The stunning view of fruit trees loaded with flowers can be enjoyed during this time. Frequent heavy rains and hail storms are also distinctive features of the spring.

Summer:

The summer begins from the middle of May that lasts till the end of August.  This is the best season for the people who like moderate temperature. This is the time when most of people from all around of Pakistan visit Muree to take relief from the scorching heat of Punjab and Sindh. The lowest temperature during summer hovers around 13 to 16 centigrade and highest from 20 to 25 centigrade.  

Autumn:

Autumn lasts from September to December with mild temperature and a clear blue sky. This is the time to enjoy the clear view of mighty mountains that surround the Muree. 

Winter:

The winter of Muree is more beautiful than Europe which commenced in December and lasts till the beginning of March. This is the time of heavy snowfall that blankets the Muree and its surroundings with white now. The temperature goes down to the freezing point. This is the ideal time for snow or ice lovers. Loads of tourist rush to Muree to play with ice in winter.

People:

The urban population of the Murree is very small most of the people live in adjacent rural areas. The population of Indian occupied Kashmir refugees also live in the city.  Dhund or Abbasi tribal people are in majority in rural areas of the Murree. There are some other tribes like Sattis, kathwals and Danials who also live in these areas. These tribes form the majority of the population but beside them, a good number of Gujars and jats also exist here. These people are typical traditional people who always welcome the guests with warmth of hospitality. The dominant local dialect of the language of the population is called Pahari but it is quite different from the Pahari spoken in the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh of India.

Tourist spot:

Murree has the number of tourist spots but these three are most popular in Muree.

Mall Road:

This road is the most popular tourist spot because there is a number of shops and restaurants on this road where you can shop, walk or dine. If you love to be with people, then this is the place for you. You can feel vibes of excitement, thrill and fun over here. But if you don’t like traffic jam, noisy crowed, laughter, high sounding music, then you are advised to stay away. Most of the people who hover around here consist of youth who love to cheer, walk and dance.

Pindi Point:

Pindi point is the spot which is loved by most of the people because it reflects the soul of the Muree. The Murree is known for its landscape and nature and at this spot, you can see both. It is just 20 minutes walk away from Mall Road but unlike Mall road it is a hilly region which is liked for the scenic views it presents to the tourists. This is a spot of height and you can see the whole adjacent city of Rawalpindi from here and this is why it is called Pindi point. Here you can find many things to enjoy. The chairlift and horse riding are main features of this place which people use for the excursion of this spot.  

Kashmir Point:

It is the spot where you can enjoy the beauty of Kashmir Mountains. With nature, you can enjoy the hustle and bustle of the people here because it is very close to the GPO of Muree. So people who enjoy walking on the Mall Road eventually arrive here to make this place fully crowded.

Wildlife:

Murree is considered one of the best site for birding in Pakistan. The Murree hills have a few West Himalayan specialities and countless other bird species. Here you can an incredible variety of habitats and bird species any time of the year. With the breathtaking habitat that it houses, more than 100 species could be seen in this area within a single day.

Some specialities of the Murree Hill Range are:

• Black-crested Tit 
• Black and Yellow Grosbeak          
• Black-headed Jay          
• Brown fronted Woodpecker         
• Himalayan Woodpecker
• Indian Grey Thrush
• Koklass Pheasant                 
• Orange Bullfinch          
• Red-fronted Rosefinch              
• Rufous-breasted Accentor  
• Spectacled Finch
• Tytler's Leaf Warbler           
• Variegated Laughing thrush       
• Western Crowned Warbler   
• Brown fronted Woodpecker        
• Rufous-tailed Flycatcher

Hotels:

There are loads of hotels here because it is a popular tourist place. It is up to your affordability what you can afford and what amenities you want. Another fact about Muree is that in off-season, the prices of the hotel rooms fall very below. The difference between the prices of the hotels in off-seasons and on-season is unbelievable. For instance if the rent of the room in a hotel in on-season is 20000 PKR, it may fall to 2000 PKR in off-seasons.

Another thing which is different in Pakistan regarding Hotels is that in Pakistan Hotels are not only meant for stay in room but it has also feature of restaurant which means, food is cooked and is available in hotels which can be served in rooms of the hotels or you can eat it in the Dining Hall of the hotels. Local as well as Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Pakistani & Continental foods are available in Hotels as well as in Restaurants.

Restaurants:

The essential part of tourism is not only sightseeing but also to enjoy the local cuisines. Murree is hub of restaurants and almost all kinds of local as well western and Chinese food are available here.

Local specialities like chicken karahi and chicken makhani, beef Mutton, Daal, range of grilled foods are also available. The dominant feature of local food is spices. It is must-eat thing in Muree. Local, as well as American chain Restaurants, are found here in bulk. The local cuisine like taka-tak, grilled chicken and many more can be enjoyed here. If you are a fast-food lover then you can also enjoy KFC, Hardees, MacDonald and many more.

Health and security:

Along with Government Civil Hospital, Military CMH, there is number of private hospitals, pharmacies, dispensaries and Emergency Rescue Service. (051) 9269076, Open 24 hours THQ Murree, Hospital Murree, (051) 9269076, Open 24 hours CMH Murree.

The private hospitals, Medical centres and dispensaries are in Murree that can always provide you with basic medical treatment, like Abbasi hospital at Suny Bank,Tariq medical centre Bhurban, alshafa clinic Murree and many more.

Security:

There is number of Police stations to access located in every area of the city. Police is responsible for the security of the people and there is no issue of security at large.  With Police, Army installations like cadet colleges and cantonments area are also located here which makes the security almost foolproof but the army doesn’t interfere in civilian matters.

Shopping:

Mall road is the main shopping area here where you can buy almost everything. Bargaining is the local culture so stay alert to avoid being ripped off. The typical handwoven shawls and handicrafts are the speciality of Muree. Murree has a range of handicraft shops which sell curios as a long-lasting memory of visiting Murree. Traditional clothing items, headwear, carved walking sticks, jewellery items and leather goods are abundantly available.

There is another huge shopping Mall known as Millenium Mall - on main Mall road, it is a perfect shopping mall with all kinds of multinational brands in cosmetics, clothing, shoes, grocery, watches, leather, and much more

Transport:

Murree has a bus station which is locally called bus, Ada. You can find buses to go to any part of the countries. The condition of bus is quite good and you can travel with comfort at a reasonable price.

Murree is the small city so Uber and Cream is not available here but you can find the private cabs in any part of the city. All transport is private and there is no government transport like Metro or big buses available here.  

Important phone numbers:

Rescue 1122 takes care of you in case of any emergency. This government service agency is very efficient and professional. You just have to dial 1122 from your phone and they will rush to you to help and rescue you.  Police help cab reached through 15.