Hertzeliya

Herzliya (pronounced Hertselia) is named after the visionary of the Jewish state and founder of the World Zionist Federation - Theodore Herzl. Herzliya has three main features. Its beachfront is one of the most popular among both Israelis and foreign tourists, thanks to the many hotels, abundance of restaurants, beaches with swimming areas and organized marinas.

The city’s industrial zone has a concentration of high-tech companies that provide work for a large percentage of the city’s residents. The city also has many fine stores and restaurants and becomes a vibrant entertainment center at night. The attractive malls and shopping centers serve the local population as well as residents of surrounding urban and rural communities, making Herzliya a city alive with energy and excitement.

Herzliya was founded in 1924 as a moshava: semi-cooperative farming community with a mixed population of Israelis and new immigrants. After Israel’s establishment in 1948, the city grew as immigrants flooded the young country. In 1960 Herzliya was declared a city and had a population of 25,000, less than one third of its population today.

The museum of Herzliya’s history, in one of the city’s original houses on Ha-Nadiv Street, documents the city’s growth. Near this museum is Herzliya Museum of Art, housed in the Yad le-Banim military memorial building on Wolfson St.

West of the city is a Muslim holy site called Sidna Ali, which contains the tomb of Ali ibn Alil, a mosque and a number of buildings. To the northwest is the Tel Arsaf (Arsuf) archeological site, where the Apollonia National Park was established a few years ago. This site, which was inhabited from the Persian period (2500 years ago) until the Crusader period (1,000 years ago), has many impressive architectural remains of the Crusader town of Arsur, its fortress, surrounding wall and encompassing moat. 

The Carmel Mountain

Around the world and festivals in the spirit of the Crusaders including period costumes. Since the days of yore, Mount Carmel has been a symbol of beauty. It is a particularly suitable location for family hikes and recreation pastimes all year round.

Mount Carmel is not particularly high. Its peak only reaches 546 meters above sea level. Mount Carmel is sprawled between the Menashe Plateau in the south, the Haifa Bay in the north and the Jezreel Valley on the east. Its borders are very clear, and create an independent unit that reaches 32 square kilometers.

Its proximity to the sea gives the mountain large quantities of precipitation, which enable the growth of well developed Mediterranean groves. In spring, bloom is especially diverse and colorful: approximately 670 different species of plants grow on this mountain.

During the Carmel’s geological development, many types of rocks were formed. Most of them are marine sedimentary rocks, created as a result of the accumulation of remains of animals in the ancient sea. At that time, when the entire area was submerged in the sea, the Carmel region had several volcanic eruptions that brought Basalt rocks. Next to them, the Carmel also has rocks that were formed by skeletons of marine animals such as shellfish and corals.

The geological fractures that occurred in the area created steep escarpments, the most impressive of which is on the eastern part of the mountain, standing upright over the Jezreel Valley.

Safed beautiful place

A visit to the city of Safed (Tsfat) - with its magnificent mountaintop setting and fresh, clean mountain air, is a heavenly experience.  

The ancient Galilean city is the highest city in Israel, and commands a breathtaking view of the Galilee in the winter with its green mountains and the white snow-capped peak of Mount Hermon. 

Safed is a picturesque city of spiritual people and artists, wrapped in mysticism and mystery, and steeped in sacred atmosphere. Visitors to Safed sense the city’s warm embrace as they wander through its alleyways past charming stone houses with their artists’ studios and workshops. 

Safed is one of the four holy cities in Israel. It has been a spiritual center since the 1600s when it was the center of Kabbala (Jewish mysticism). The Kabbalist mystics lived, studied, taught, and wrote in the city and many of the graves are objects of veneration.  

The ancient picturesque alleyways of the Jewish quarter contain hidden niches and beautiful synagogues whose rich past emanates from the high ceilings, colorful decorations, and ancient Torah scrolls.  

The artists’ quarter is located in what was previously the Arab quarter of Safed.  Artists reside and work in their studios in the ancient and magnificent houses, and their paintings and artifacts fill the display windows and can be viewed while walking through the narrow alleyways. 

Safed also has exciting museums that relate the city’s history, luxurious hotels that preserve its antique character, and a huge Crusader fortress.  It also hosts numerous festivals that are rich in color and atmosphere.  

To visit Safed - with the grapevines growing up the arbors of its stone houses, the decorated iron gates, the beautiful panorama that is visible from the verandas, and the winding cobblestone alleyways, is like strolling through a painting.  It is a city for vacationers and tourists, a city of artists and rabbis, history and tradition. 

Abu Gosh

On the way up from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, among turns and bends of the hilly scenery, lies the village of Abu Gosh. It is a Christian-Arab village built on a mountainside. Looking up from its lowest point, you will see a charming and picturesque village.

The village of Abu Gosh was first settled over 6,000 years ago. In the biblical period, it was known as Kiryat Ye'arim, and was a ceremonial center where the Ark of the Covenant was placed. In the Byzantine era (some 1,500 years ago), Kiryat Ye’arim became a holy place and a church was built in the village. During the Crusader Period (about 1,000 years ago), the village was ascribed as the place where Jesus revealed himself after his resurrection – that is, Emmaus – and the Benedictine Monastery was built. The monastery is one of the most beautiful buildings preserved from the Crusader Period, and can still be visited. It is located in the heart of a well-tended garden with ancient trees. Impressive frescoes are painted on the inner walls, and a fountain flows from the crypt at the base of the monastery. 

The Church of Notre Dame de l’Arche d’Alliance (Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant) is located at the highest point in the village, facing the impressive scenery of the Jerusalem Hills. This church was built in 1924 on the remains of an ancient Byzantine church. A large statue of the Virgin Mary was placed in the courtyard of the church, and is visible from every direction in the complex. Nuns live in the church, which also has several guest rooms.

The present village was built in the Ottoman period by the Abu Gosh family, whose descendents represent the majority of the residents of the place (some 5,500 people).

Twice a year – on Shavuot (the Festival of the First Fruits) and on Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) – both churches hold festivals for vocal music, which are attended by groups and choirs from round the world, and the place teems with people.

But in Israel, Abu Gosh is synonymous with hummus. And not the simple hummus you get in the city, but a wonderful, delightful mixture served in a variety of ways and with spicy garnishing. In fact, in recent years Abu Gosh has turned into the country’s “hummus center.” In addition to the “authentic” Abu Shukri restaurant and to the “original” Abu Shukri restaurant, there are many other restaurants throughout the village, focused around hummus and authentic Arabic food. Besides tasty and even cheap food, Abu Gosh offers additional tourist attractions. 

The village has a few guesthouses, colorful shops selling glass products, a candle shop, and, of course, places to buy Baklava and different types of sweet foods. Near the village there are several sites worth visiting, such as the Ein Khemed National Park, Har ha-Ru’akh (literally, the Mountain of the Wind), and more.

fertile lansdscape in The Kibbutz

Israel’s kibbutz communities, nestled in its most scenic and fertile landscapes, are one of its best-known Israeli “products,” representing a unique, rural way of life whose historic hallmark is sharing. The kibbutz movement began around the turn of the 20th century when groups of young pioneers from Eastern Europe decided to combine their commitment to egalitarianism and their love of nature and working the land with their Zionist creed. These first kibbutzniks, as members of these communities are called, founded Degania on the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee, which is still blooming and going strong.

Today there are approximately 270 kibbutzim throughout the country. Interestingly, as famous as the kibbutz movement is, only about 1.5% of Israel’s population has chosen this way of life, making it an even more special phenomenon you’ll want to learn more about when you visit. Their role has certainly been the inverse of their small numbers – it is impossible to imagine Israel without the kibbutz contribution to agriculture, industry, as a first home for immigrants and, in the early years, in defense of its borders.

Many say the kibbutz secret of success has been its willingness to change with the times. More than a generation ago, for example, they gave up the idea of children sleeping in group quarters watched over by kibbutz caregivers, which in the old days was considered essential to maximize working hands. And today, some kibbutzim have decided to foster greater individual enterprise, while continuing to share elements of their cultural and social lives. Still others have kept the traditional framework of a redistribution of the resources of all members.

Since all kibbutzim began as farms, they are located in Israel’s most beautiful regions. That makes them an alluring destination for visitors, and many operate hotels and/or bed-and-breakfast facilities, craft shops, galleries and other attractions and tourist services. In fact, visitors who want both to meet these unusual folks and enjoy their hospitality can plan their entire Israel trip staying overnight only at kibbutzim! With lots of room to run around outdoors, kibbutz accommodations are great for families with young children. Some kibbutzim run tours of their community, and boast museums of their pioneering days and/or the heritage sites and artifacts found right on their land.

An unforgettable opportunity to get acquainted with kibbutz life, to make life-long friends among the kibbutzniks and other people from around the world, and to see Israel at the same time is by volunteering on one of 30 or so kibbutzim for a minimum of two months and a maximum of six months. If you love green pastures and waterscapes, you may look for a kibbutz volunteer program in northern Israel’s Hula Valley or near the Sea of Galilee. In contrast , there are dramatic desert scapes in the Negev or the Arava, where you can help make the arid land bloom.

Visit the ruins of Beit She'an

A tour of Beit She’an is like a walk through time. Among the residential buildings, modern public buildings, and modern shopping centers are ancient buildings that were once public institutions, archaeological sites and impressive ruins. Beit She’an is one of the most ancient cities in the country. It is a historical gem that unfolds the fascinating story of a rich period full of changes, climaxing in the National Park of Beit She’an to the north of the city.

Tel (the Hebrew name for abandoned ruins that often appear as hillocks in the countryside) Beit She’an was first settled way back in the Chalcolithic Period (some 5,000 to 6,000 years ago). The city has had many conquerors, among them the Egyptians some 3,500 years ago. A few hundred years later, the Philistines conquered it (it was they who fastened Saul’s body to the wall of Beit She’an after the famous battle on Mount Gilbo’a: 1 Samuel 31 .8 – 11). Beit She’an became part of the kingdoms of David and Solomon, and was eventually destroyed in a fire, apparently at the hands of the King of Assyria (in 732 BCE). 

Beit She’an was rebuilt as a Hellenistic city about 2,300 years ago, and was renamed Scythopolis (“City of the Scyths”). In the succeeding Roman period, it spread south, reaching the peak of its greatness in the fifth century, when it had 30,000 – 40,000 inhabitants. The remains of this magnificent city can be clearly seen at the city’s main site – the National Park of Beit She’an, which is one of the country’s most beautiful and impressive national parks. In the northern part is Tel Beit She’an – the location of ancient Beit She’an. South and east of it are the ruins of Roman-Byzantine Scythopolis, which tell of its richness and greatness.

The city extended over an area of some 370 acres, and you can still see the remains of the wall that surrounded it. In addition, several impressive buildings have been uncovered in the national park, including a theatre (still used for events and shows), a public bath-house (the largest found to date in Israel), two magnificent colonnaded streets, a Roman temple, a decorative fountain building (nymphaeum), a large basilica marking the center of the city, and of course the reconstructed mosaic on which you can see Tyche, the Roman Goddess of Good Fortune, holding the Horn of Plenty.

The city remained at its peak for several more years, following which it declined. After the Arab conquest, it sank to the status of a small town. Upon the establishment of the State of Israel, it was resettled and new immigrants came to live here. Today, the city numbers some 18,000 inhabitants. 

As mentioned, there are more ruins within the precincts of the new city of Beit She’an, including a Roman amphitheatre (hippodrome), an affluent person’s residence from the Byzantine period, and the remains of a bridge from the Roman period on Nakhal Kharod, which flows at the outskirts of the city. In another part of the city are ruins from later periods, including the remains of a Crusader fortress, a mosque from the Mamluk period, a Turkish government house, and several basalt stone houses from the time Beit She’an was under Arabic rule.

The area surrounding the city is profuse with springs and, consequently, there are abundant nature sites and places to tour. The new youth hostel, one of the most impressive in the country, is worth a visit.

Kiryat Shmona

Kiryat Shmona, Israel’s northernmost city, nestles in the Hula Valley, in the heart of one of the most beautiful nature and tourism regions. The city is named in memory of the eight fallen heroes of the 1920 battle over nearby Tel Hai (Shmona is the Hebrew word for eight). 

Kiryat Shmona was founded in 1949 on the ruins of the Arab village of Khalsa, as a transit camp for immigrants who worked mainly in farming, and over the years the city was built and industries developed there. There are currently a number of successful manufacturing plants in Kiryat Shmona, although the city serves mainly as a commercial and tourism center for the surrounding communities.

The southern entrance to Kiryat Shmona is at the bottom of Manara cliff, the site of Israel’s longest scenic cable car (1,900 meters), which takes visitors up the high cliffs to Kibbutz Manara. The site has a breathtaking observation point overlooking the Hula Valley and the surrounding area, a restaurant, hiking path, activities for children, a challenging sports center with a climbing wall and the longest omega in Israel, with the steepest slope in the world (!). Visitor can also rappel down a 42-meter cliff face ride on an all-terrain bicycle trail with bicycles that can be rented on site.

Shehumit hill rises on the east side of Kiryat Shmona, offering an panoramic view of the city and the northern Hula Valley. Not far from here is the municipal Golden Park, built on both sides of the route of the Ein Zahav (Golden Spring) Stream. At the center of the park are broad lawns and small forest of poplar and Syrian ash trees. A flour mill from the Ottoman Period (1517-1917) still stands beside the stream, and in the north part of the park there is a small mosque made of checkered basalt and chalk stone, a remnant of the Arab village. The mosque now houses a museum of Kiryat Shmona’s history, including a photographic exhibition from the city’s early days and an audiovisual program documenting the city’s development. The old inn near the city center is an ancient building that once served as a castle. The inn is made of chiseled stone adorned with arches and has a small courtyard and a theater in the center. This building is now used as an arts center and hosts various events. 

Kiryat Shmona offers tourists guest rooms, restaurants, shopping centers and entertainment, and surrounding the city are many streams and natural and historic sites, including Khurshat Tal National Park, the Hula Valley Nature Reserve, the Tel Dan Nature Reserve and Tel Hai.

come and see Zikhron Ya’akov

Zikhron Ya’akov is a wonderful town for tourists, both local and foreign. This picturesque moshava semi-cooperative farming community built at the tip of the Carmel mountain range is the first moshava ever built in Israel and is a main tourism and vacation site in this region. 

Anyone who visits Zikhron Ya’akov goes straight to Ha-Nadiv Street, and Ha-Meyasdim Street in the town center, which has become a very popular pedestrian mall, thanks to the special atmosphere in this place. The streets are paved with stones and pass between the moshava’s original houses (some of which have been reconstructed), which are bustling with activity. 

There are many quaint and charming restaurants and coffee shops, interspersed between beautifully designed stores that sell local art works and lovely souvenirs. There are art galleries, unique artists' studios and workshops. New, modern buildings stand alongside old ones, such as the synagogue and the administration building, an old courtyard with a display of antique agricultural implements. 

Two of the moshava’s original buildings have been turned into history museums:Beit Aharonson - dedicated to the history of the pre-state NILI underground resistance organization - and the Museum of the First Aliya (wave of immigration to Israel). All these and more make the main street a vibrant and colorful celebration of history and life.

From its early days, Zikhron Ya’akov had two main characteristics: wine and tranquility. The moshava’s founding farmers cultivated vineyards and the large winery built here in 1889 became the area’s most important industry. The winery (now owned by Carmel Mizrahi wineries), has a visitors center with free guided tours. During the British Mandate period (1917-1948), the moshava became a holiday resort and rural vacations site, and to this day has hotels, spas and guesthouses.

Zikhron Ya’akov was founded in 1882 and was assisted greatly by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, a Jewish philanthropist who established and financially supported many of the early moshava communities. During World War I the moshava became the headquarters of the NILI underground organization, which provided the British with intelligence information in order to help the British conquer the Turks, who ruled the country at that time. Despite rapid urban development after Israel’s independence, and even though the local population has grown thanks to immigration absorption, the unique rustic character of the town has been preserved.

Zikhron Ya’akov is surrounded by many tourism sites. To the south are the Ramat ha-Nadiv Gardens, a special, well-tended garden planted around the tombs of Baron Rothschild and his wife Adelaide. Opposite the gardens is a lovely nature reserve with a beautiful view of the Mediterranean coastline. Near the entrance to these sites is Ha-Nokdim farm, which offers activities from the past, such as camel rides and Bedouin hospitality, for children and families. Further south is the beautiful Shuni fortress, from the Roman period, and to the north the Carmel mountains rise in all their glory.

trip to Be’er Sheba

The capital of the Negev, the Old City, the university, the Turkish railway station, and the Bedouin market represent only a part of the colorful mosaic offered by the city of Be’er Sheba, a city full of life and proud of itself, as you will be told by any of its 185,000 inhabitants. 

Be’er Sheba, spelt Beersheba in most English translations of the Bible, is a major crossroads whose potential was felt by Abraham, father of the Jewish people, who arrived here 3,700 years ago. He dug a well to water his flock, made a covenant of peace with Abimelech, the king of Gerar in those days, and the two swore allegiance to one another. “Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them took an oath" (Genesis 21, Verse 21). To symbolize his ownership of the well, he planted a tamarisk tree. Thus the city of Be’er Sheba struck roots at that place and at that time. Abraham’s descendants continued to live here, in a place that was the cradle of monotheism. 

Be’er Sheba is located at the intersection of two ancient important international road junctions: The "Way of the Sea" (Via Maris) which extended along the shoreline in the west, and the King’s Highway (the Valley Route) in the east. Consequently, the city is mentioned throughout biblical times as a wayside station, as a resting spot, as a border point and as a ritual center.

Tel Be’er Sheba, five kilometers east of the city, is usually identified with biblical Be’er Sheba. The site is fascinating, and contains the ruins of a walled city from the Israelite monarchic period. Due to the wonderful finds there, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 2005. In the Roman Period, the settlement spread to the area of present-day Be’er Sheba, and was located in the center of the Limes Palestinae, the Roman defense layout from Rafah (Rafi’akh) to the Dead Sea, which mainly consisted of fortresses built the borderline. When the Romans converted to Christianity, it served as the Episcopal residence (the residence of the Bishop) and several churches were built there. The Crusaders also built a fortress in the city, but when it was destroyed it remained desolate for a long time.

Modern-day Be’er Sheba was founded at the start of the twentieth century by the Ottomans, and was the only city that the Turks built in the Land of Israel. Remains of buildings from this period and from the time of the British Mandate can be seen in the Old City, located in the south of the city. These include the Governor’s House – the residence and office of the city’s governor, which was built in 1906 and today houses the Negev Museum of Art; the city’s first mosque also built in 1906; the Turkish railway station built during the First World War; the station manager’s house; the water tower that supplied the trains’ steam engines with water; the Saraya – the Government House (today the city’s police station); a public garden; and additional buildings that tell the fascinating story of Be’er Sheba under Turkish rule. 

The Jewish city was established in 1949. It developed and turned into the center of the south and became the capital of the Negev. Today, it has museums, a zoo, historical sites, one of the largest universities in Israel, and on Thursdays – the famous Bedouin market. 

The market was officially opened in 1905, and became a weekly event where the Bedouins sold various wares. Nowadays, the market has modern stalls (footwear, clothing, etc) alongside authentic Bedouin stalls where you can buy unique items such as copper products, glassware, jewelry, beads and precious stones, as well as mats, carpets, cushions, and the like. The market is variegated, vibrant, exceedingly charming, and colorful. 

Another important hub is the Center for Ethiopian Craftsmanship where new immigrant women preserve the ancient handicraft traditions of Ethiopian Jewry as practiced in their home villages, and engage in modeling earthenware, embroidering, sculpting, and straw crafts.