Naggar, a lovely village set on a hill surrounded by forest was the capital of Kullu in the 16th century. And the monuments in the region are witness to its glorious past. The Naggar castle, a stone and wood structure built by Raja Sidh Singh over 500 years ago, has been converted into a heritage hotel. The gracefully built castle has a temple in the courtyard and also houses a small museum. The temples of that area, such as the grey sandstone Gauri Shankar Temple of Shiva or the Jagti Patt temple, with its triangular slab of stone, strewn with rose petals and rupee notes are worth a visit.

The paintings and photographs of the Russian Nicholas Roerich are exhibited in the Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery. He was a famous artist, writer, photographer, archeologist, explorer and mystic who settled down in this area. One can see the beds, library, settees, writing tables, toiletries and samovars of his family in the museum.

So why not combine cultural sightseeing with some activity?

We follow the road from Manali on the right side of the River Beas and will cross plenty of tiny villages, rice fields and apple orchards. While going to Naggar is nearly completely downhill, the 22 km back in the afternoon are a little challenging. So in case you are too tired there is also the possibility of taking the jeep for going back. In both cases you can enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery.