Middle East - Anthony Ham [250]
The idiosyncratic luxury guesthouse Villa Tehila ( 693 5336; www.villa-tehila.co.il; 10 Mabat Lachermon Hacholotzim St; d from 650NIS; ) gets our vote for Rosh Pina’s loveliest accommodation option. It’s situated on the right on the road up to the restoration site. Once you get past the various enclosures for chickens, ducks and baby bunnies (a favourite with visiting children), the fairy-light-lit inner courtyard leads to antique-filled reading rooms and a billiards hall. The upstairs guest rooms are beautifully decorated with local art, hand-sewn quilts, brass fittings and wood cabinets. Linked to Tehila by a stone passageway, the colourful Blues Brothers Pub ( 9am-late Fri & Sat year-round, 9am-late occasional weekdays in summer) is a beautiful place to drink the night away.
To get here, take bus 841, 842 or 845 from Tel Aviv (two per hour, 44NIS, 2¾ hours). From Tiberias, take bus 835, 840 or 836 (two per hour, 14.80NIS, three hours).
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HULA VALLEY
04
The Hula Valley encompasses Israel’s first nature reserve, which was turned from a malarial swampland into a prime migratory bird-watching destination in 1964.
Here, at the Hula Nature Reserve ( 693 7069; entry 18NIS, visitors centre extra 15NIS; 8am-5pm Sat-Thu, 8am-4pm Fri), over 200 bird species call in to make themselves at home, alongside less migratory water buffalo.
Bus 841 or 842 (twice per hour) between Rosh Pina and Kiryat Shmona will drop you off at the turning to the reserve, after which it’s a 2.5km walk. Ask the driver to let you off at the right place.
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GOLAN HEIGHTS
The beautiful, windswept Golan Heights bears plenty of echoes of the bloody, desperate battles played out on its pastures and highlands.
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WARNING
One of the most troublesome remaining scars of the fighting in the Golan Heights are the landmines that still litter many spots. Pay attention to signs warning ‘Danger: Landmines’ and don’t stray off marked trails.
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Katzrin
04 / pop 7000
The Golan Heights’ official ‘capital’, this ’70s town planner’s dream never quite became the idyllic mountain community it was intended to be. If you’re more interested in hiking the national parks, pass on through. If not, explore the ancient Talmudic village within Katzrin Park ( 696 2412; admission 24NIS; 8am-4pm Sun-Thu, 9am-2pm Fri), which includes the remains of a 3rd-century synagogue and two reconstructed houses, or take a 3D journey through the region at the Magic of Golan ( 696 3625; 9am-6pm Sun-Thu, 9am-3pm Fri). If you’re feeling thirsty after all that information, take a tour and a taste-test at the respected Golan Heights Winery (see the Wining and Vining boxed text, Click here).
TheGolan SPNI Field School ( 696 1234; Daliyat St; d 320NIS; ) has a clean and comfortable guesthouse in a rather dour 1960s building; staff can recommend hikes in the area.
Bus 15 (25NIS, one hour) and 19 (25NIS, 1¾ hours) connect Katzrin with Tiberias three times per day.
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A-HIKING WE WILL GO
All of the region’s national parks are overseen by the Israel Parks & Nature Authority (IPNA; 06-680 0086; parks.org.il). If you’re planning on tackling a couple of parks, consider a one-week card (80NIS per person) or a two-week card (120NIS per person). Almost all reserves below have standard opening hours (8am to 5pm April to September, 8am to 4pm October to March) and admission fees (18NIS to 23NIS per adult). Here are five of the area’s best hikes, all in IPNA-run parks.
Gamla Nature Reserve (below) Hike down