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> Galilee Highlights
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Galilee Highlights
Acre
The old walled port city of Acre has been continuously settled since the days of the Phoenicians, four millennia ago. In the twelfth century, Acre was the capital of the Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem . The city was the last home in the Holy Land for many of  the Christian knightly orders: the Knights of St. John (the Hospitallers), the Knights of the Temple (the Templars), and the German knights (the Teutonic order).
The port of Acre was the site where Richard the Lionhearted, Marco Polo, Louis IX, and Napoleon embarked on their expeditions.
Beit She’an
Beit She’an National Park is a rich archaeological treasure with a Roman stadium, an ancient colonnade and a gladiator’s area. Learn more about these fascinating ruins from Gems in Israel.
Karmiel
Karmiel is a relatively young town in the Western Galilee . Founded in 1964 with a community of close to 50,000, the city is the commercial, educational, cultural and industrial hub of the Western Galilee .
Nazareth
Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, was a tiny village tucked away in a valley in the Lower Galilee . At the age of about 30, Jesus began his ministry around the Sea of Galilee, where he imparted the core of his teachings. The old city of Nazareth dates back to the beginning of the eighteenth century when many of the landed gentry came into wealth as a result of reforms instituted by the Ottoman Turkish authorities.
Safed
In the sixteenth century, the Old City of Safed became a world center of Kabbala and Jewish thought. Many of the rabbis and sages were buried in the old cemetery of Safed, and graves of Talmudic sages have been discovered in the mountains and forests around the city. The old streets and lands of Safed have survived until this day. The medieval synagogues of Safed are notable for their Spanish architecture. For more information on Safed, see Safed, the City of Jewish Art , Mysticism, and Tourism.
Tiberius
Tiberius was named after the Emperor Tiberius. During the time of Joshua, the area where modern Tiberius is now located was allocated to the tribe of Naphtali. In ancient times, Tiberius' greatest attraction was its medicinal hot springs at Hammath, just to the south. The hot springs remain a tourist attraction to this day.
Other historical and natural sites worth visiting include:
- Banias Nature Reserve encompasses the upper Hermon River , the Banias waterfall and a number of archaeological sites, including remains of a Greek temple dedicated to the goat-footed god Pan.
- Gamla is an ancient Jewish town built on a steep mountainside in the Golan Heights. The town gets its name from the Hebrew word for camel, "gamal," which the steep sides of the mountain resemble. Gamla is known as the “Masada of the North:” When the remaining Jews realized that the Romans were about to conquer the site after seven months of fighting in 67 A.D., they leapt to their deaths in the abyss below the town. The town was never rebuilt and the ruins remain as a testament to the tragedy. The Gamla Nature Reserve is home to many species of predatory birds including eagles and vultures. It also hosts the country’s highest waterfall.
- Hula National Park is a unique wetlands wildlife sanctuary and a rare meeting point of African and European fauna and flora. According to the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration at Latrun, some 500 million birds representing 300 species cross Israel’s skies twice a year, in the autumn and spring. Hula, along with other key sites on the birds’ migration path, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For an inside look at the the Hula Experience, read A Hula Diary.
- Rosh Hanikra is the northernmost point on the Mediterranean shore of Israel , on the border of Israel and Lebanon . The unique and beautiful grottoes, formed by the sea pounding against the chalk cliffs, can be reached by a short cable car ride. Throughout history, trading caravans and armies passed through Rosh Hanikra. It’s also the sight of the old railway line that once linked Cairo to Beirut .
- Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) is surrounded by many different sites mentioned in the Bible. Many important Jewish sages are buried in the area, including Rabbi Moses Maimonides (the Rambam). In addition, the Sea of Galilee has many important sites from Jesus’ ministry: Mount of Beatitudes, the scene of the Sermon on the Mount); Tabgha, the site of the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes; Capernaum, the town where Jesus stayed during his ministry.
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