Jammu sits at the foothills of the Himalayas where the plains of Punjab give way to the mountains, the Tawi river running through its middle. It is primarily a Hindu pilgrimage city and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir — a busy, functional place rather than a tourist destination in its own right, but worth a day or two.
The Raghunath Temple complex in the old city is the main sight: a collection of seven temples built in the 19th century by the Dogra maharajas, with an interior almost entirely covered in gold foil. The Bahu Fort overlooks the Tawi river and houses a temple to Kali. Amar Mahal Palace, the former royal palace, is now a museum with a portrait gallery of the Dogra rulers and a good collection of miniature paintings. Mansar Lake, about 60 km east, is a popular pilgrimage and picnic site worth the half-day trip.
Jammu is also the starting point for the pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi, one of the most visited Hindu shrines in India. The bus and train connections north to Srinagar (8 hours) make Jammu a natural stopping point on the way into Kashmir.