THE NORTH
THE NORTH
In the northern part of Israel are the Galilee (both Upper and Lower), Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee), the Golan Heights and the Hula valley, the Jordan and the Jezre'el valleys, the northern part of the Mediterranean coast, and Mount Carmel.
Recommended stay in the north: 2 nights or more.
Upper Galilee
The old quarters of the city of Tsfat
(Safed), located high in the Upper Galilee region, preserve the atmosphere of its heyday in the sixteenth century, when it became, for a short time, the center of Kabbalah
and Rabbinic Judaism. Tsfat, with its vividly old but still active synagogues, its alleys and art galleries, is not the only site that deserves a visit in the Upper Galilee, a green mountainous region in the northern end of the state of Israel.
Lower Galilee
Mount Tabor
– a lone mountain in the Lower Galilee – is where Barak and the prophetess Deborah assembled the tribes of Israel to defeat the army of Sisera. Mount Tabor is also believed to be the site of Jesus' Transfiguration.
Mount Tabor is one of many sites in the beautiful hilly Lower Galilee. Among these are Nazareth, the site of the Annunciation;
and ancient Zippori
(Sepphoris), where Rabbi Yehuda ha-Nasi compiled the Mishnah
– the first component of the Talmud, which is the main text of Rabbinic Judaism.
Many of the Lower Galilee inhabitants are Arabs, both Muslim and Christian.
Lake Kinneret – Sea of Galilee
The breathtaking view of Lake Kinneret
(the Sea of Galilee) from the top of Mount Arbel,
a national park, is unforgettable.
But there are many other lookouts that let you enjoy a view of the Kinneret – the lowest freshwater lake on Earth – and connect to its spiritual significance. Don't miss its beaches and the holy sites by its shores, primarily Capernaum, Magdala
and Tabgha.
Golan Heights and Hula Valley
The Golan Heights dominate the Hula Valley and the Sea of Galilee.
Springs at the beautiful Banias
and Tel Dan
are the main sources of the Jordan River.
The impressive Nimrod Fortress, Druze
towns and a lookout to the Syrian border are among the sites deserving of a visit.
The Jordan and Jezre'el Valleys
Ancient Beit She'an
(Scythopolis), between Mount Gilboa
and the River Jordan, is one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the country.
Important battles of biblical and more recent times took place in the fertile Jezre'el Valley
– the battle of King Saul
against the Philistines, of Judge Gideon
against the Midianites, of the Mamluks against the Mongols, and a battle predicted to be at the End of Time, in the Plains of Armageddon
(blieved to be Megiddo).
The Mediterranean coast – North
Sandy beaches are favorite leisure sites in the warm season as well as the many sunny days in winter.
Throughout history, the coast has been the gateway to Europe, through the old port cities of Jaffa
(see: Tel Aviv), Caesarea,
and Akko
(Acre) – and the modern port city of Haifa.
Old Akko
is a living town, built over huge halls constructed by the Crusaders. The World Center of the Baha'i faith,
with its beautiful gardens, is one of the highlights of Haifa, on Mount Carmel.
