Upper Galilee Attractions
Introduction: The Upper Galilee is a...
1. Metulla - Metulla is a small town, Attached to the Lebanese border. It was established in June 1896 by 60 farming families from more established settlements and 20 families of non-farming professions. Most of the founders were immigrants from Russia. Pioneers (halutzim) from Petah Tikva also joined in settling Metula, as did some religious scholars from Safed.
In Metulla there are 3 interesting sites:
1.1. The main and old street, where you can see the old and beautiful houses which were built by the first Settlers.
1.2. Dado observation- Perched on the upper slopes of the hill southwest of Metulla. This lookout offers spectacular, often windy views. To the south you can see the Hula Valley, to the east the Golan (including Mt Hermon and the twin volcanoes of Avital and Bental), and to the north the fields and hills of Lebanon: The Ayoun Valley is in the foreground, while on the horizon it’s easy to spot Beaufort Castle (Or Boufor -as the locals call it), a Crusader fortress.
1.3. Canada center- A holiday and sport resort, including ice skating in an Olympic sized ice rink, Warmed and roofed swimming pool, Spa, 7D cinema – Moving chairs, Bowling.
Canada Center- Metulla
Dado Observation- Metulla
2. Tel Hai - The courtyard was built in 1907 at the initiative of the agronomist Chaim Margaliot Kalvarisky, clerk of the Jewish Colonization Association (JCA). During the First World War, a founding group settled there and changed its name, which was then Telha, to Tel Hai.
At that time there were four Jewish settlements in the Upper Galilee: the village of Metulla, Tel Hai Courtyard, Kibbutz Kfar Giladi and Hamara.
During World War I, the Ottoman Empire was defeated and the French won control of the Upper Galilee. However, the area was plagued by widespread unrest, based on religious and political conflict.
On March 1, 1920 a group of armed men came to Tel Hai. For a reason unknown to this day, shots were suddenly heard from upstairs.
Within seconds a gun battle broke out in the courtyard. The defenders of Tel Hai stood heroically against their assailants. Towards evening, they decided with a heavy heart that they had no choice but to evacuate.
The visit to this heritage site is a moving experience, imbuing any trip to the Upper Galilee with special meaning and power. We invite you to an exciting encounter with the fundamental questions of our life in Israel. The location offers a wealth of activities designed for diverse groups and individuals.
Tel Hai
3. Manara Cliff - The activities at the Manara Cliff park are a unique experience that gets the adrenaline pumping and quickens the pulse, to push the limits of the extreme and propel our visitors to new records and heights. The beauty of the Upper Galilee and Naphtali Ridge, spread out in all its glory and strength, is yours to enjoy from every attraction at Manara Cliff, creating a powerful emotional experience.
No matter your age, any time, you are invited to recalibrate the boundaries of your extreme and to experience new pinnacles of satisfaction, excitement and bonding with nature.
Among the Activities there, you can find Alpine Slides, cable car to the summit of the mountain, Trampoline Bungee, and more...
The link to the Website is:http://www.cliff.co.il/
Manara Cliff
4. Rosh Pina - This little town was first established in 1878, by Jews which came from Safed. They called it GET ONI, which means in Hebrew "my strength".
These settlers suffered from three years of drought, till they Abandoned their village (beside 3 families). In 1882 came to the Village several dozens of Jewish families from Romania, and they changed the name of the Village to Rosh Pina (a quote from the bible). Since then, the village has never Abandoned.
In today's Rosh Pina you can see:
4.1. The old Village, which is full with special Coffee Shops, restaurants, and chocolate factories.
4.2. The House of Dignitaries is a structure built in 1882 and used as a center of administration and finance for Rosh Pina and other towns in the Galilee region. From this building, a loudspeaker was used to broadcast the local news.
4.3. An ancient synagogue, which was commissioned by the Baron.
4.4. The Mer house was the home of Professor Gideon Mer, an expert on malaria, epidemiologist and an important contributor to the eradication of malaria in the 1930.
4.5. PICA House provides an audio-visual presentation that tells the story of Rosh Pina.
4.6. The Baron Rothschild' gardens.
Rosh Pina
Safed- Artist Quarter
5. Safed - Safed is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of 900 meters (2,953 ft.), Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and in Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters.
Safed has been identified with Sepph, a fortified town in the Upper Galilee mentioned in the writings of the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus. The Jerusalem Talmud mentions it as one of five elevated spots where fires were lit to announce the New Moon and festivals during the Second Temple period. In the 12th century CE Safed was a fortified city in the Crusaders' Kingdom of Jerusalem, known to them as Saphet. The Mamluk Sultan Baibars captured the city in 1266 and appointed a governor to take charge of the fortress.
Under the Ottomans, Safed functioned as the capital of the Safad Sanjak, which encompassed much of the Galilee and extended to the Mediterranean coast. Since the 16th century, Safed has been considered one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias; since that time the city has remained a center of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. Rabbi Isaac Luria introduced interest in the Kabbalah to the city in the 16th century.
Due to its mild climate and scenic views, Safed has become a popular holiday resort frequented by Israelis and by foreign visitors. In 2018 it had a population of 35,715.
In the Old City and the artist quarter you can visit:
5.1. One of the KABALA synagogues (with or without a special performance of Jewish typical band)- very unique.
5.2. The most known galleries of KABALA paintings, glass statues, and jewelries- all of them with an inspiration of the KABALA, in the artist quarter.
5.3. A special candles factory.
5.4. Special cheese factory.
5.5. The crusaders fortress which is located on the summit of the City.
6. Baram Synagogue - If you plan a tour in Israel, and you are interested to see the Upper Galilee, One of the most impressive synagogues in the Galilee is located at Baram in the eastern part of the Upper Galilee. The route combines a walk in the national park with a hike in the Baram Forest, home to typical Galilee woodland. The hike is suited to all seasons, apart from cold, rainy winter days. It is an easy trail, suitable for the whole family.
In 1905, a synagogue from the Byzantine period was discovered in the village. It was part of the Jewish town of Baram, which predated the village. Nowadays, we know of dozens of synagogues in the Galilee and the Golan dating from this period, an impressive testimony to the intensive Jewish settlement in the Galilee hundreds of years after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Jewish life in the Galilee survived despite the unrelenting pressures of war and forced conversions that Jews were subjected to. Only at the end of the Middle Ages was Jewish settlement in the Galilee reduced to the Safed and Tiberias regions only.
The Baram synagogue is distinctive in its row of columns that stand before the wall of the entrance, forming an unusual vestibule. The remains of columns and stones found there have given rise to speculation that the structure may have had a second storey. This synagogue had no interior ornamentation, such as the mosaics familiar to us from other Galilean synagogues, perhaps because it is one of the earliest. Notice how the entrance to the synagogue faces Jerusalem (southwards) like many other synagogues in the Galilee. No traces have been found of the Torah ark, and it seems that it was probably a permanent fixture in the southern wall close to the entrance.
7. Sasa & Area - .In the Mountain area of the Upper Galilee, A tour in Israel, should contain several aspects. Historical aspects, Theological Aspects, Culture, and local gastronomic experience.
Sasa and Area contain all of them.
Among the huge veracity options, we can find:
7.1. Etgar-bahar Rope Park- The main attraction in the park is the high trail which is suitable for adults and children (age 9 years' minimum height 1.35 meters). The high route includes 16 different challenging bridges 3-10 meters high. Zip line11 meters high and 80 meters long.
Climbing walls and ladders: Challenging 10 meters climbing walls and special ladders. Both zipline and climbing are suitable for all ages. The link to the Website is: https://www.etgarbahar.com/copy-of.
7.2. Buza Ice Cream factory - in July 2012, after a long research tour, they opened the first ice cream shop in the center of the village of Tarshiha in the Galilee, to melt the hearts of the Arab and Jewish neighbors with high-quality fresh and local ice cream, which they make in front of The audience, behind a glass window, is pure handmade.
The tastes include, for example, dates from the Jordan Valley, almonds from Umm al-Fahm, and bakan nuts from the fields of Kibbutz Sasa.
During the past years, they have won several awards in various fields:
- The best ice cream in Tel Aviv for the year 2016 from Time Out Magazine
- Award because we are AIM2FLOURISH Arab-Jewish business.
- Small Interest Award from Bank Hapoalim Yediot Aharonot 2019.
(A tour for all generations - from 3 years to 120)
Family Ice Cream tour includes:
• Film , explanation of the story of the ice cream, A tour of the Production Hall, We prepare the ice cream together in 3 ways and savor it.
7.3. Yuval Telem Workshop- Yuval Telem is a blacksmith in a small village near Sasa (Matat), where he is an expert in shaping metals to Statues and furniture. He is doing a private workshop to visitors that want to experience this traditional way of art. The link to his Website is: https://www.yuvaltelem.com/
7.4. Galil Mountain Winery - In the Upper Galilee, near Kibbutz Yiron, They discovered the beauty of a free-flowing connection with nature. Experiencing this connection led to the establishment of a winery whose approach and actions are free and creative.
Galil Mountain Winery raised the banner for leading a vision of sustainability in the vineyards and in the winery, and for creating a free-flowing connection with the customer. We invite you to join us in this fascinating journey that’s close to nature. The tour covers the entire wine production process – from describing our sustainable development efforts for wine grape cultivation to pouring our quality wines from the bottle or tap, including tasting our wines. The link to the Website is: http://www.galilmountain.co.il/en/home/a/main/
Goren Park is situated in the heart of the Upper Western Galilee woodland overlooking the gully of Nahal Kziv. It was the first large park in the country to consist entirely of native Israeli common oak woodland.
7.5. BALDNA Modern Authentic Cylindrical restaurant - Baldna is a Cylindrical restaurant near Sasa, which combines a rich bar and a selection of the best beer in the world with authentic and modern cylindrical food that creates an experience of different thinking and forgotten tastes.
8. Goren Park - If you interest in the history of Israel, combined with wild nature sightseeing, you should visit park Goren in your tour in Israel.The site now covers an area of some 2,000 dunham (approx. 500 acres), and footpaths lead from it to Nahal Kziv, the Ein Tamir spring and Montfort Castle. Goren Park itself offers footpaths suitable for all the family, magnificent lush green scenery and a variety of recreation options that have helped to make it one of Israel’s most popular venues.
The Montfort Castle, it's a castle that was built by the crusaders in the 12th century. The Crusaders located this castle here, because of the water source (Kziv stream), the strategic location, and the location way to protect the castle from attacks. From the park, you can observe the castle while enjoying the park plants, flowers (in the Spring) and trees.
9. KESHET cave - Keshet Cave is located in the heart of Adamit Park, which is in the Betet reserve in the western Upper Galilee area. The visit to the cave (which is not a cave at all!) Was especially experienced in view of the magnificent view of the Mediterranean and Haifa Bay on the one hand and the Galilee on the other, the blossoms and mischievous rock faces you might see! Accessible itinerary that anyone of any age will enjoy!
One route leads to the famous rainbow cave and another track, known as the Orchard Trail, passes through orchard trees, cedars and spice plants on its way to the ruins of Adam. The park has also been trained through a wonderful landscape that surrounds it and reaches all the beautiful vantage points.
During the walk, as soon as you pass through the service structure, you can see and visit the memorial in memory of Eldad Regev and the late Udi Goldwasser. The viewpoint overlooks the border between Lebanon and Israel. In memory of the late Topaz Gemstone who perished in the 2010 Carmel fire disaster.
A rainbow cave is actually not a cave at all, but a giant arch that hangs below it. In the past, the cave was closed on almost all sides, until geological upheavals revealed its southern opening, a gap collapsed, and all that remains is a spectacular rock arch through which you can see a beautiful green landscape. The impressive view stretches to the Mediterranean and the Carmel Ridge.
You can come here for a picnic in one of the cute corners. More at the park: BBQ facilities, faucets, daytime open toilets and seating benches.
