The Golan Heights

The Golan Heights, Israel’s mountainous northern region, is one of the most beautiful and most traveled parts of the country. There are wonderful scenic treasures alongside lovely nature reserves, historic and archeological sites and attractions for the whole family. Some people call this area the Israeli Texas, because of its size, while others see it as a land of plentiful water sources. The beauty of the Golan is so captivating that some visitors return here again and again to enjoy the sights.The view from the Golan Heights becomes more and more magnificent as you gradually climb from the plains, at 300 meters above sea level in the south to 1,200 meters in the north. The eastern edge of this region is dotted with a chain of volcanic hills, while the south and west border on basalt cliffs that descend to the Jordan Valley Rift, Lake Kineret and the Yarmuk River.

Scattered throughout the Golan Heights are a wide variety of sites that offer a broad spectrum of activities for tourists and hikers throughout the year. In the winter both amateur and professional skiers flock to the top of the snow-covered Hermon Mountain to enjoy its excellent ski conditions, the snow that piles up on the ground and the pure white landscape. In the summer hikers can enjoy a swim in the many streams, in spring the plains are carpeted with multi-colored flowers and in autumn the pleasant weather attracts hikers to the many wooded trails.

The Golan Heights also offers tourists an authentic cowboy experience at a ranch with horses and cattle. Visitors can go out to the orchards and pick ripe cherries, raspberries and other seasonal fruits. Bird lovers can watch the eagles nesting in Gamla and on the cliffs of the nature reserve, and see the remains of a Chalcolithic Era settlement (from about 5,500 years ago). There are also burial grounds from 4,000 years ago, a 2,000-year-old Jewish city a monastery with a Byzantine church (from 1,500 years ago) and much more. 

The summit of Mount Bental offers a panoramic view of the whole area, while the Sa'ar, Zavitan and Meshushim streams gurgle and froth from the waterfalls along their routes through breathtaking canyons. Odem Forest, in the northern Golan, is the home of a deer reserve, with many different species. Near here you can also see Rujum al-Hiri (Circle of Ghosts), a Megalithic structure about 5,000 years old that researchers believe was used for ritual purposes, burial or as an astronomy observatory. The Golan Heights is the only part of Israel with basalt stones, originating from long ago volcanic eruptions. Here in the mountains the nights are chilly all year long.

Visitors to the Golan Heights can sleep in any of the hundreds of rural guest houses, tour the archeological sites (Banias, Gamla, Beit Tsida, ancient Katsrin) and the unique nature reserves, enjoy the boutique wineries, taste the delicacies at the wide variety of restaurants, experience Druze hospitality in one of the Druze villages in the northern Golan and much more.

Tel-Hai

Tel Hai is a historic site that commemorates the heroism of the Hula Valley pioneers who stubbornly defended their homes to the death. Nearby Kiryat Shmona is named after the eight (Shmona in Hebrew) pioneers who perished here.

Tel Hai was founded in 1916 by a group of Hashomer guards. Hashomer was an organization that believed that only Jews should guard Jewish settlements. After the First World War, Tel Hai and other Galilee settlements were transferred to French rule and suffered in the Arab revolt against the French. In January 1920 two Tel Hai members were killed in an Arab attack, and on the 11th of Adar, 5680 (March 1, 1920), six more died when hundreds of Arabs attacked the settlement. Among the fallen was Yosef Trumpeldor, the guards’ young commander.

Tel Hai was abandoned, but the battles did not end for another few months, after which the settlers returned to rebuild their homes. Since then, Tel Hai has been a symbol of heroism. Each year, on the 11th of Adar, an official memorial ceremony is held for Trumpledor and his comrades at the cemetery in nearby Kfar Gil’adi, where the young fighters were buried in a common grave. A statue of a roaring lion stands in the cemetery, sculpted by Avraham Melinkov in 1926, as an expression of their strength.

Tel Hai remains just as it was. The buildings are made of basalt stone, with red tiled roofs, preserving the settlement that thrived here in the early years of Jewish settlement in this region. The courtyard houses a museum that reconstructs the life of Tel Hai’s founders and an audiovisual program in seven languages portrays the battle and the heroism. Children can solve historic riddles and try on period costumes and all around the courtyard are sculptures and antique farming equipment.

Near the Tel Hai courtyard is Tel Hai College and a youth hostel that overlooks scenic Hula Valley. West of Tel Hai is a sculpture-lined path featuring stone and bronze sculptures, and to the east is Tel Hai Industrial Park, which houses an interesting photography museum and an amusing antique car museum.

Eilat

Over the years, the city of Eilat has become the ultimate resort city with hotels and beaches packed with thousands of Israeli vacationers and tourists from around the world, who come to relax in the country’s southernmost spot. 

In the winter it mainly attracts tourists from Europe who prefer vacations in a warmer and more pleasant climate while Israelis flock to the city in the summer. The secret of this little city’s charm is its special location in the northern end of the Bay of Eilat. The combination of a hot climate, a tropical sea and a breathtaking background of wild, bare granite mountains has turned it into a tourist gem all the year round. 

Eilat’s location made it strategically significant during the many historical periods in which it served as a port – starting in the days of King Solomon (who built a large fleet of ships which he sent to Ophir), through the Nabataeans, the Romans, the Arabs, and the Crusaders, all of whom ruled the Land of Israel. 

The modern city of Eilat was established in 1950. In the early 1950s, a quay was built in the new city, and subsequently a port which became the basis for the new city’s economy. Towards the end of the 1960s, the tourism industry started developing in the city, and today Eilat is a paradise for tourists, travelers and vacationers. 

The bay is one of the major attractions, thanks to the beautiful beaches, the developed water sports and some of the best diving spots in the world. In the south of the city is the Coral Reserve, with splendid tropical fish among the reefs. Within the precincts of the reserve is the Underwater Observatory, with a marine museum that displays collections of fascinating sea animals. Not far from the observatory is the Dolphin Reef with its resident school of dolphins. 

The city’s many and varied restaurants suit all tastes, and there are also clubs, colorful shops and a promenade along the northern shoreline which holds vibrant bazaars during the summer. There are additional attractions for youngsters and families, such as an amusement park, a new “Kings City” (a high-tech theme park for all the family based on the Bible and Bible stories). Eilat also has an IMAXmovie theatre offering a 3-D experience, and many more leisure time activities. 

The Arava region north of the city and the Eilat Mountains is an arid desert. But in between the exposed mountains there are many nature and beauty spots as well as archaeological and historical sites, which make Eilat a good starting point for special trips in the area, such as camel treks, jeep tours and more