Spirit of the Holy Land
Our view of Israel has been muddied by conflict in the area over the past few decades, but that’s a shame as it’s been a cultural, political and religious centre for thousands of years.
At the intersection of Asia, Europe and Africa – geographically and culturally – Israel and the Palestinian Territories have always been a meeting place of cultures, empires and religions.
Holy sites
Cradle of Judaism and Christianity and sacred to Muslims and Baha’is, the Holy Land invites visitors to immerse themselves in the region’s religious traditions. Ancient Jewish sites include Jerusalem’s Western Wall and Byzantine-era synagogues. Roman-era synagogues around the Sea of Galilee may have been used by Jews and Christians before their faiths diverged.
Christian pilgrims and tourists can explore sites associated with Jesus’ birth (Bethlehem), ministry (Nazareth and around the Sea of Galilee), and crucifixion (Jerusalem). For Muslims, only Mecca and Medina are holier than Jerusalem’s Al Haram Ash Sharif, known to Jews as the Temple Mount – perhaps the most contested site on Earth.
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv is a multicultural swirl of skyscrapers, bike paths, atmospheric cafes, stylish bistros and buff bods tanning on the sand. It may be a relatively new city by Israeli standards (first founded in 1909), but has earned Unesco World Heritage status by virtue of its 1930s-style Bauhaus architecture. Israel’s self-described ‘‘start-up city’’, it is world-renowned as a tech hub – as well as myriad bars, pubs and clubs.
Archaeology
Thanks to the painstaking work of generations of archaeologists, modern-day visitors can explore the 10,000-year-old mud-brick relics of Jericho, enter into the world of David and Solomon in Jerusalem’s City of David, and twin a visit to Masada, with its dramatic tale of resistance to the mighty legions of Rome, with a tour of the thoroughfares and theatres of Beit She’an, still pulsing with Roman opulence.
Adventures in Nature
Few countries have so much geographic variety packed into such a small space. Distances are short, so you can relax on a Mediterranean beach one day, spend the next floating in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea, and the day after that scuba diving in the Red Sea. Hikers can trek the length of the country on the Israel National Trail, explore spring-fed oases tucked into the arid bluffs above the Dead Sea, and visit the multi-coloured sandstone formations of Makhtesh Ramon. Many trails are ideal for mountain biking.
Israel and the Palestinian Territories’ Top 10 Dome of the Rock
The first sight of Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock – its gold top shimmering above a turquoise-hued octagonal base – takes your breath away. Perhaps that’s what the unknown architects had in mind more than 1300 years ago when they set to work on this impossibly gorgeous building. The best view, some say, is from the Mount of Olives, but don’t miss the chance to see it up close by taking an early-morning walk up to the Temple Mount/Al Haram Ash Sharif.
The Dead Sea
You pass a sign reading ‘‘sea level’’ then keep driving downhill, eventually catching glimpses of the cobalt-blue waters, outlined by snow-white salt deposits, reddish-tan cliffs and tufts of dark-green vegetation. At the oasis of Ein Gedi you can hike through steep canyons to crystal-clear pools and tumbling waterfalls, before climbing to the Judean Desert plateau above – or heading down to the seashore for a briny, invigorating dip. To the south around Mt Sodom, outdoor options include adventure cycling along dry riverbeds.
Tel Aviv Beaches
Head to Gordon Beach in Tel Aviv and grab your spot on the sand or on a sun lounger to watch sunbathers bronze while the more athletic swim, surf, sail and play intense games of matkot (beach racquetball). Pick one of the bars or restaurants that brings food and beers to the beach and enjoy some lunch then, as evening falls, do as the locals do and sink a few ice-cold Goldstars as the sun sets over the Mediterranean.
Ramallah
Home to most of the West Bank’s best budget accommodation, and the bulk of its bars and clubs, Ramallah is an excellent base for visitors, and an exciting, cosmopolitan and vibrant city. Since 2017, it has hosted the excellent Yasser Arafat Museum, in the compound where the late Palestinian leader spent his final years under Israeli siege. Also in the
de facto Palestinian capital is a museum to Palestine’s poet laureate Mahmoud Darwish.
Western Wall
For centuries Jews have come to the 2000-year-old western retaining wall of the Temple Mount to pray and to mourn the destruction of the First and Second Temples. The Western Wall’s enormous stones, worn smooth by countless caresses, have an almost magnetic power, drawing close the hands and foreheads of the faithful, who come in search of a deep, direct connection with God. Look closely between the cracks to see prayers that have been written down and slotted between the stones.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Built on what St Helena – Constantine the Great’s mother – believed to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial, Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the holiest place in the world for many. In darkened chambers infused with incredible spirituality, a variety of Christian denominations keep alive here some of the oldest traditions of their faith.
Baha’i Gardens
Fusing religious symbolism, breathtaking views and meticulous gardening, the 19 terraces of Haifa’s Baha’i Gardens present visitors with a sublime expression of humankind’s striving for beauty.
The gold-domed Shrine of the Bab sits in the middle of the gardens, and tier after tier of geometric flower beds, immaculate lawns, sculptures, and fountains cascade down the slopes of Mt Carmel, offering pilgrims and tourists a sense of incredible serenity. If you’re fit enough, check out the view from the top over Haifa.
Masada
The Romans had just destroyed Jerusalem when about a thousand Jewish Zealots took refuge on a remote hilltop overlooking the Dead Sea.
As you peer down from their towering redoubt, you can still see the eight encircling Roman camps, connected by a siege wall, making it easy to imagine the dramatic, tragic events that unfolded there in early 73AD.
Eventually the Romans built a ramp and breached the walls, but all they found were a handful of survivors – everyone else had committed suicide rather than submit to slavery.
Ancient Jericho
Walking among the ruins of ancient Jericho is an
essential part of any traveller’s itinerary in the West Bank, but there is a lot more here than the remains of the oldest city in the world (10,000 years old, according to some estimates).
Take the time to check out the mosaics at Hisham’s Palace, and don’t miss a cable-car ride to the epic Monastery of the Qurantul. Jericho is also home to one of the best youth hostels in the West Bank, Sami Youth Hostel.
Tsfat (Safed)
The spirit of the 16th-century rabbis who turned Tsfat – the highest city in the Galilee, and in Israel – into the world’s most important centre of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) lingers in the alleyways and ancient synagogues of the Synagogue Quarter, and in the nearby Artists’ Quarter, where intimate galleries offer creative, joyous Judaica (Jewish ritual objects). A Kabbalah vibe is also palpable in the hillside cemetery, where some of Judaism’s greatest sages – the Ari, Yitzhak Luria, Yosef Caro – lie buried.
Reproduced with permission from the 9th edition of Lonely Planet’s Israel and the Palestinian Territories guidebook, researched and written by Daniel Robinson, Orlando Crowcroft, Anita Isalska, Dan Savery Raz and Jenny Walker, © 2018. Published this month, lonelyplanet.com