Destinations in the Upper Galilee
Baron Edmond de Rothschild: The Man Who Kept the Dream Alive
Without Rothschild’s millions, the first Jewish settlements would have collapsed. The baron who funded a state from Paris.
Gush Halav: The Last Jewish Stronghold in the Galilee
An ancient Jewish town that held out against Rome, with a beautifully carved synagogue and the dramatic story of John of Giscala.
Har Adir and the Second Lebanon War Memorial
A hilltop memorial to the fallen of the 2006 Lebanon War, with 360-degree views across the Galilee to the Mediterranean and Lebanon.
Ikrit and Bir’am: An Unfinished Chapter
Two Maronite villages evacuated in 1948 with a promise of return that was never kept. One of Israel’s most painful unresolved stories.
Israel’s Northern Border: Where History Drew the Line
How did Israel’s northern border end up where it is? From Sykes-Picot to the Good Fence, from the security zone to the blue line, the story of the Israel-Lebanon border is a masterclass in how geograp
Kabbalah: Jewish Mysticism from Safed to the World
The real Kabbalah, not the celebrity version. Jewish mysticism rooted in Safed, from the Zohar to the Tree of Life.
Meron and the Tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
The most visited Jewish holy site in Israel after the Western Wall. The tomb of Rashbi at Meron draws hundreds of thousands on Lag BaOmer.
Metula: Israel’s Northernmost Town
A town at the tip of a finger-shaped territory, surrounded by Lebanon on three sides, with an ice rink and apple orchards.
Metzudat Koach (Fortress 28): The Battle That Opened the North
28 Palmach fighters died capturing this fortress in 1948, opening the road to the upper Galilee.
Montfort Castle: A Crusader Ruin in the Galilee Forest
Teutonic Knights’ headquarters, hidden in a forested gorge in the western Galilee. Reaching Montfort requires a hike. It’s worth it.
Mount Meron Nature Reserve and Summit Trail
The highest peak in the Galilee at 1,208 meters, with ancient forests, rare wildflowers, and panoramic views from the summit.
Nahal Amud: The Pillar Stream from Safed to the Sea of Galilee
A dramatic gorge from Safed to the Sea of Galilee, with a natural limestone pillar, prehistoric Neanderthal caves, and one of the best hikes in the Galilee.
Peki’in: The Cave of Rashbi and an Ancient Jewish Presence
A Druze village with continuous Jewish presence for 2,000 years, a cave where Rashbi hid from Rome, and the roots of the Zohar.
Rabbi Joseph Caro and the Shulchan Aruch
The man who wrote the book that every observant Jew follows. Rabbi Joseph Caro created the Shulchan Aruch in Safed in the 1560s.
Rosh Pina: The Pioneer Village That Became a Gem
Founded in 1882 by Romanian immigrants, Rosh Pina is one of Israel’s oldest settlements and today one of its most charming villages.
Safed: The Mystical City in the Sky
One of Judaism’s four holy cities, perched at 900 meters with blue-painted alleys, ancient synagogues, and 500 years of mystical tradition.
Tel Dan: Where Abraham Walked and a Kingdom Was Divided
The oldest arched gate in the world. The first evidence of King David outside the Bible. A golden calf that split a kingdom. And one of the most beautiful nature reserves in Israel. Tel Dan has it all
Tel Hai: Where Eight Defenders Changed History
Trumpeldor and eight defenders fell at Tel Hai in 1920. The battle became a founding myth of the State of Israel.
Tel Hazor: The Largest Ancient City in Canaan
UNESCO World Heritage Site, 200 acres, 26 layers of civilization. The head of all those kingdoms in the biblical world.
Tel Kedesh: The Forgotten Temple in Israel’s Far North
A biblical city of refuge, the starting point of Deborah and Barak’s war against Sisera, and home to one of the largest Roman temples in northern Israel. Tel Kedesh is the site most tourists never see
Abuhav Synagogue: The Painted Dome and the Sacred Scroll
A Kabbalistic gem in Safed’s Synagogue Quarter, with a painted dome of mystical symbols and a Torah scroll attributed to Rabbi Yitzhak Abuhav himself.
Ancient Synagogue at Bar’am
One of the best-preserved Talmudic-era synagogues in Israel, with an extraordinary carved facade standing nearly 1,800 years.
Ari: Rabbi Isaac Luria and the Revolution of Kabbalah
He arrived in Safed, taught for two years, never wrote a word, and changed Judaism forever. The Ari’s mystical revolution.
Circassians of Israel
In two small villages in the Galilee, a community from the Caucasus Mountains maintains traditions over 1,000 years old, serves in the Israeli army, and cooks food you won’t find anywhere else in the
Hula Valley and Bird Migration in Israel
Over 500 million birds pass through Israel twice a year, and the Hula Valley is where they stop. One of the greatest wildlife spectacles on the planet.
Sea to Sea Trail: Crossing Israel on Foot
60 kilometers from the Mediterranean to the Sea of Galilee in 3-4 days. One of the best multi-day hikes in Israel.
Talking Walls of Shtula (Kirot Medabrim)
An open-air art installation on the Lebanese border where the walls of an abandoned village tell the story of the north.
Yesod HaMa’ala: Foundation of the Ascent
One of the first Jewish settlements in the Galilee, founded in 1883 on the edge of the malaria-plagued Hula swamps.
Explore this site and 65 more in Sacred Steps in the Holy Land
225 pages · The Life, World, and Footsteps of Jesus · Maps, photos, and Scripture references
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