Haifa

Haifa (Hebrew חֵיפָה Heifa; Arabic حَيْفَا Ḥayfā) is the third largest city in Israel and the largest city in the north of the country with a population close to 300,000. The city is located on Israel's Mediterranean shoreline, on Mount Carmel and at its foot. Haifa is an important transportation, industrial and cultural center and one of Israel's most important maritime trade centers.

Haifa is the second holiest city in the Baha'i Faith. The Bahá'í sites in Haifa were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008 and serve as one of the city's leading tourist sites.

Haifa is first mentioned historically around the 3rd century CE as a small town near Shikmona, the main Jewish town in the area at that time and a center for making the traditional Tekhelet dye used for Jewish Priests' temple cloth. The archaeological site of Shikmona lies southwest of the modern Bat Galim neighborhood. The Byzantine ruled there until the 7th century, when the city was conquered — first by the Persians, then by the Arabs. In 1100, it was conquered again by the Crusaders after a fierce battle with its Jewish and Muslim inhabitants. Under Crusader rule, the city was a part of the Principality of Galilee until the Muslim Mameluks captured it in 1265.

In 1761 Daher El-Omar, Bedouin ruler of Acre and Galilee, destroyed and rebuilt the town in a new location, surrounding it with a thin wall. This event is marked as the beginning of the town's modern era. After El-Omar's death in 1775, the town was under Ottoman rule until 1918, except for two brief periods. In the years following, Haifa grew in terms of traffic, population and importance, as Akko suffered a decline. The development of Haifa increased further with the arrival of members of the German Protestant Temple Society in 1868, who settled a modern neighbourhood near the city, now known as the "German Colony". The Templers greatly contributed to the town's commerce and industry, playing an important role in its modernization.

By the beginning of the 20th century, Haifa had emerged as an industrial port city and growing population center, reflected by the establishment of facilities like the Hejaz railway and Technion. At that time Haifa District was home to approximately 20,000 inhabitants, comprised of 82% Muslim Arab, 14% Christian Arabs, and 4% Jewish residents. The Jewish population increased steadily with immigration primarily from Europe, and by 1945 the population had shifted to 38% Muslim, 13% Christian and 47% Jewish.

Today, Haifa is home to Jews, Muslim and Christian Arabs, as well as small communities of Ahmadis (in Kababir), Druze (in nearby Isfiya and Daliyat al-Karmel), Bahá'ís, and others. Haifa is characterised as a mosaic of peaceful coexistence between the communities. It is also the second-holiest city in the Bahai faith.

The phrase "Haifa works, Jerusalem prays, and Tel Aviv plays" refers to Haifa's reputation as a city of workers. A generation ago Haifa's image was that of a serious—and somewhat dull—labor city because of its factories and port. It still has an industrial area to its north, where one of Israel's two oil refineries is located. But it also has a world-class high-tech strip in its south, in the "Matam" technology park along the beach. The park includes blue-chip tech firms such as Intel, Philips, Microsoft, and Google as well as some of Israel's largest tech firms, Elbit, Zoran, and Amdocs. IBM has an R&D center on the top of Mount Carmel at Haifa University and HP has a lab at the Technion, Israel's leading technological university.

Haifa is largely a modern city.

• Bahá'í Gardens and World Center, +972 4-831-3131. Th-Tu. The gardens and world centre on Mount Carmel's northern slope area a must-see for any visitor to Haifa. Comprising the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, terraced gardens and administrative buildings, the World Centre is the holiest site of pilgrimage for the members of the Bahá'í faith, as well as the faith's central administrative center. The gardens are stunning and well worth visiting if you are in Haifa. Only parts of the site can be accessed freely without joining the tour – this includes the bottom entrance and the level at the dome. The tours are free and no reservation is required, unless you are a group of 25 or more. Check their website to find out when the tours take place.
• Cave of Elijah. Elijah is considered a prophet in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Carmelites have a tradition that they were founded by Elijah at this time. According to tradition, Elijah lived in a cave on Mt. Carmel during the reign of King Ahab. The site itself may disappoint many tourists as it's a very simple site. One enjoyable and scenic option for good walkers is to walk down to the cave from Stella Maris (monastery) at the top of Mt. Carmel.
• Stella Maris. A French Carmelite church, monastery and hospice. This is the founding place of the Carmelite Order, a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church. The present monastery and church, built over what the Carmelites believe to be a cave where Elijah lived, dates from 1836 after the previous buildings were destroyed in 1821 by Abdullah, pasha of Akko. It's worth visiting the church to view the beautiful painted ceiling which portrays Elijah and the famous chariot of fire (in which he ascended to heaven), King David with his harp, the saints of the order, the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel and David, and the Holy Family with the four evangelists below. A small adjoining museum contains ruins of former cloisters dating from Byzantine and Crusader times.
• German Colony, Centered around Ben-Gurion Blvd. All hours. In 1868 members of German Templer Society (not to be confused with the Knights Templar) purchased land that was far from the city and set out to build the first planned agricultural community in the Holy Land. Many of the original templar houses have been preserved and have undergone restoration in the last decade of 20th century. Now the main street of the former colony (Ben-Gurion Boulevard) is a promenade, with many restaurants and coffee shops. Some examples of good places in the German Colony are Havana Plus, a hookah bar with a full service bar; Milagro, a restaurant that provides great beer on tap and live music after 8PM; and Isabella, one of the finer restaurants in the area. The City History Museum and the local Tourist Board are also located here. Free.
• University of Haifa. At the top of Carmel, the campus was designed by Oscar Niemeyer, the architect of Brasilia and UN building in New York City. Newer buildings were added later. The top 30th floor of the Eshkol Tower provides an incredible view of almost the entire North of Israel. The campus is also home to the Hecht Museum with its rich archeology and art collections. Entry to both of these attraction is free.
• Wadi Nisnas. Haifa's largest Arab neighbourhood with a bustling pedestrian zone and outdoor art. "Holiday of the Holidays" is held there between December and January.
• Tel Shikmona. An important coastal city from the 15th century BCE until the Byzantine period; some of the ruins can be observed now.

Bahá'í Gardens and World Center, +972 4-831-3131. Th-Tu. The gardens and world centre on Mount Carmel's northern slope area a must-see for any visitor to Haifa. Comprising the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, terraced gardens and administrative buildings, the World Centre is the holiest site of pilgrimage for the members of the Bahá'í faith, as well as the faith's central administrative center. The gardens are stunning and well worth visiting if you are in Haifa. Only parts of the site can be accessed freely without joining the tour – this includes the bottom entrance and the level at the dome. The tours are free and no reservation is required, unless you are a group of 25 or more. Check their website to find out when the tours take place.

Cave of Elijah. Elijah is considered a prophet in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Carmelites have a tradition that they were founded by Elijah at this time. According to tradition, Elijah lived in a cave on Mt. Carmel during the reign of King Ahab. The site itself may disappoint many tourists as it's a very simple site. One enjoyable and scenic option for good walkers is to walk down to the cave from Stella Maris (monastery) at the top of Mt. Carmel.

Stella Maris. A French Carmelite church, monastery and hospice. This is the founding place of the Carmelite Order, a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church. The present monastery and church, built over what the Carmelites believe to be a cave where Elijah lived, dates from 1836 after the previous buildings were destroyed in 1821 by Abdullah, pasha of Akko. It's worth visiting the church to view the beautiful painted ceiling which portrays Elijah and the famous chariot of fire (in which he ascended to heaven), King David with his harp, the saints of the order, the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel and David, and the Holy Family with the four evangelists below. A small adjoining museum contains ruins of former cloisters dating from Byzantine and Crusader times.

German Colony, Centered around Ben-Gurion Blvd. All hours. In 1868 members of German Templer Society (not to be confused with the Knights Templar) purchased land that was far from the city and set out to build the first planned agricultural community in the Holy Land. Many of the original templar houses have been preserved and have undergone restoration in the last decade of 20th century. Now the main street of the former colony (Ben-Gurion Boulevard) is a promenade, with many restaurants and coffee shops. Some examples of good places in the German Colony are Havana Plus, a hookah bar with a full service bar; Milagro, a restaurant that provides great beer on tap and live music after 8PM; and Isabella, one of the finer restaurants in the area. The City History Museum and the local Tourist Board are also located here. Free.

University of Haifa. At the top of Carmel, the campus was designed by Oscar Niemeyer, the architect of [[Brasilia]] and UN building in [[New York City]]. Newer buildings were added later. The top 30th floor of the Eshkol Tower provides an incredible view of almost the entire North of Israel. The campus is also home to the Hecht Museum with its rich archeology and art collections. Entry to both of these attraction is free.

Wadi Nisnas. Haifa's largest Arab neighbourhood with a bustling pedestrian zone and outdoor art. "Holiday of the Holidays" is held there between December and January.

Tel Shikmona. An important coastal city from the 15th century BCE until the Byzantine period; some of the ruins can be observed now.

• National Museum of Science - MadaTech, 12 Balfour St, +972 4-861-4444. Established in 1984, MadaTech - the Israel National Museum of Science, Technology and Space is housed in two historic landmark buildings in mid-town Haifa. Designed, at the turn of the century, by renowned German Jewish architect, Alexander Baerwald, these were home to the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel’s first institution of higher education. ₪45 for students.
• Clandestine Immigration & Navy Museum. This may sound a bit bland but it's actually quite fascinating and worth a visit. The museum deals with the successes and failures of the Zionists' illegal attempts to infiltrate into British-blockaded Palestine in the 1930s and '40s. The centrepiece of the museum (quite literally - the building has been constructed around it) is a boat, the Af-Al-Pi-Chen (Hebrew: Nevertheless), whose hold carried 434 refugees to Palestine in 1947. ₪15.
• National Maritime Museum, 198 Allenby St, +972 4-853-6622. Deals with the history of shipping in the Mediterranean area. The collection contains old maps, models of ancient ships, navigation equipment and bits and pieces of sunken ships.
• Haifa Museum of Art, 26 Shabtai Levi St, +972 4-852-3255.
• Reuben & and Edith Hecht Museum, University of Haifa campus, +972 4-825-7773. houses a fine collection of archaeological artefacts relating to Jewish history before the Diaspora. There is plenty of ancient pottery, weapons and even a pair of 2100-year-old petite-sized sandals. The museum highlight is a 5th-century-BC Greek ship found near Caesarea in 1984. It has been carefully rebuilt and placed in a specially designed annex of the museum. An art wing upstairs contains sections on French Impressionist and Jewish art from the 19th and 20th centuries. Among the works are paintings by Monet, Pissaro and Van Gogh. Free.
• Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, 89 Hanassi Ave, +972 4-838-3554. The museum was founded in the year 1959, at the joint initiative of Felix Tikotin, a known collector of Japanese art. The museum present rotating exhibitions of old and modern Japanese art. It features everything from 14th-century Buddhist scroll art to pottery, metal work and newer exhibits on Japanese animation and even Pokémon.
• Marc Chagall Artists' House, 24 HaTziyonut St, +972 4-838-3482.
• Mane Katz Museum, 89 Yafe Nof St, +972 4-911-9372, +972 4-852-2355.
• Haifa Educational Zoo. A small zoo in Carmel Center. It has lions, tigers, and bears, but no apes or large herbivores.
• The Railway Museum, +972 4-8564180, +972 4-8564293. Housed in the old Haifa East train station, The Railway Museum features a collection of stamps, photographs, tickets, timetables and rolling stock. Old timetables remind you that you could at one time travel from here by train south to Cairo or north to Beirut or Damascus.
• Haifa City Museum, Ben Gurion 11. A museum dealing with urban culture and describing the history of the city Haifa.

National Museum of Science - MadaTech, 12 Balfour St, +972 4-861-4444. Established in 1984, MadaTech - the Israel National Museum of Science, Technology and Space is housed in two historic landmark buildings in mid-town Haifa. Designed, at the turn of the century, by renowned German Jewish architect, Alexander Baerwald, these were home to the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel’s first institution of higher education. ₪45 for students.

Clandestine Immigration & Navy Museum. This may sound a bit bland but it's actually quite fascinating and worth a visit. The museum deals with the successes and failures of the Zionists' illegal attempts to infiltrate into British-blockaded Palestine in the 1930s and '40s. The centrepiece of the museum (quite literally - the building has been constructed around it) is a boat, the Af-Al-Pi-Chen (Hebrew: Nevertheless), whose hold carried 434 refugees to Palestine in 1947. ₪15.

National Maritime Museum, 198 Allenby St, +972 4-853-6622. Deals with the history of shipping in the Mediterranean area. The collection contains old maps, models of ancient ships, navigation equipment and bits and pieces of sunken ships.

Haifa Museum of Art, 26 Shabtai Levi St, +972 4-852-3255.

Reuben & and Edith Hecht Museum, University of Haifa campus, +972 4-825-7773. houses a fine collection of archaeological artefacts relating to Jewish history before the Diaspora. There is plenty of ancient pottery, weapons and even a pair of 2100-year-old petite-sized sandals. The museum highlight is a 5th-century-BC Greek ship found near Caesarea in 1984. It has been carefully rebuilt and placed in a specially designed annex of the museum. An art wing upstairs contains sections on French Impressionist and Jewish art from the 19th and 20th centuries. Among the works are paintings by Monet, Pissaro and Van Gogh. Free.

Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, 89 Hanassi Ave, +972 4-838-3554. The museum was founded in the year 1959, at the joint initiative of Felix Tikotin, a known collector of Japanese art. The museum present rotating exhibitions of old and modern Japanese art. It features everything from 14th-century Buddhist scroll art to pottery, metal work and newer exhibits on Japanese animation and even Pokémon.

Marc Chagall Artists' House, 24 HaTziyonut St, +972 4-838-3482.

Mane Katz Museum, 89 Yafe Nof St, +972 4-911-9372, +972 4-852-2355.

Haifa Educational Zoo. A small zoo in Carmel Center. It has lions, tigers, and bears, but no apes or large herbivores.

The Railway Museum, +972 4-8564180, +972 4-8564293. Housed in the old Haifa East train station, The Railway Museum features a collection of stamps, photographs, tickets, timetables and rolling stock. Old timetables remind you that you could at one time travel from here by train south to Cairo or north to Beirut or Damascus.

Haifa City Museum, Ben Gurion 11. A museum dealing with urban culture and describing the history of the city Haifa.

• The (student's) beach. The best beaches are right next to the Hof HaCarmel bus and train stations. Just get off the train/bus and walk straight onto the beach. Haifa has many kilometers of beautiful beach on its southwest side. Part of the beach has a boardwalk with cafes and restaurants that are always bustling—day or evening. The beach has its own unwritten segments. Families with kids come to the area along the boardwalk. Younger singles hang in the strip just south of there (with no boardwalk, stores). The locals call it "Students' Beach." Free.
• Cable car, +972 4-8335970. Rides between Bat-Galim Promenade and Stella Maris. The ride offer spectacular views of the city, beach, port and Haifa bay.
• Carmelit. A subway runs between Carmel center and downtown Haifa. ₪6.60 per ride.
• Holiday of the holidays, German Colony and Wadi Nisnas. A festival celebrating holidays of Christianity (Chrismas, New year), Islam (Ramadan), and Judaism (Hanukkah). The festival happens mainly on weekends, and include free entrance to museums, public shows, fair and colorful market. Free.
• Haifa Trail, +972 54-7237067. A trek along Haifa's landscapes and attractions, museums, cultural and religious sites, and the city’s unique urban wildlife.
• Hecht Park. Haifa's largest park, located adjacent to the sea.
• Nesher park. In a suburb of Haifa called Nesher, this is a beautiful park in a forested valley. There are hiking trails as well as two pedestrian suspension bridges over the valley.

The (student's) beach. The best beaches are right next to the Hof HaCarmel bus and train stations. Just get off the train/bus and walk straight onto the beach. Haifa has many kilometers of beautiful beach on its southwest side. Part of the beach has a boardwalk with cafes and restaurants that are always bustling—day or evening. The beach has its own unwritten segments. Families with kids come to the area along the boardwalk. Younger singles hang in the strip just south of there (with no boardwalk, stores). The locals call it "Students' Beach." Free.

Cable car, +972 4-8335970. Rides between Bat-Galim Promenade and Stella Maris. The ride offer spectacular views of the city, beach, port and Haifa bay.

Carmelit. A subway runs between Carmel center and downtown Haifa. ₪6.60 per ride.

Holiday of the holidays, German Colony and Wadi Nisnas. A festival celebrating holidays of Christianity (Chrismas, New year), Islam (Ramadan), and Judaism (Hanukkah). The festival happens mainly on weekends, and include free entrance to museums, public shows, fair and colorful market. Free.

Haifa Trail, +972 54-7237067. A trek along Haifa's landscapes and attractions, museums, cultural and religious sites, and the city’s unique urban wildlife.

Hecht Park. Haifa's largest park, located adjacent to the sea.

Nesher park. In a suburb of Haifa called Nesher, this is a beautiful park in a forested valley. There are hiking trails as well as two pedestrian suspension bridges over the valley.

Haifa's mountainous location makes it generally unfriendly for the pedestrian. Therefore shopping avenues are less common than in other cities, though there are a few, such as the Hadar area and the Carmel Centre.

In the old downtown (city center), in a flat area close to the seaport, there are inexpensive shops.

Haifa has many shopping malls, including:

• Grand Canyon. The biggest mall. It has international brand names such as Armani, Lacoste, Benetton and Zara as well as local brands and a large food court. "Canyon" is Hebrew for mall as well as English for canyon, and this mall is in a deep valley in central Haifa, hence the pun in its name. Israelis who don't get the pun will often just call it "the Grand".
• Horev Center.
• Haifa Mall.
• Castra Center. Known as an artistic center more than as a mall.
• Cinemall.
• City Centre Mall.
• Kiryon. In the eastern Krayot suburbs.

Grand Canyon. The biggest mall. It has international brand names such as Armani, Lacoste, Benetton and Zara as well as local brands and a large food court. "Canyon" is Hebrew for mall as well as English for canyon, and this mall is in a deep valley in central Haifa, hence the pun in its name. Israelis who don't get the pun will often just call it "the Grand".

Horev Center.

Haifa Mall.

Castra Center. Known as an artistic center more than as a mall.

Cinemall.

City Centre Mall.

Kiryon. In the eastern Krayot suburbs.

Haifa is not a gourmet center like greater Tel Aviv, but it still has plenty to offer.

Falafel and other street food. Some good falafel can be found in: Falafel Michel and Falafel HaZkenim, both in the Wadi Nisnas area; Falafel HaNasi (locations in the Carmel Center and Horev Center); and at Paris Square, the lowest Carmelit station. Wadi Nisnas has many restaurants and food stalls for shawarma, falafel, and Middle Eastern sweets like baklava and knafe.

There is a huge concentration of falafel and shawarma stands downtown on Yafo Street, near the old Bat Galim Central Bus Terminal building (about 400 m from it). The food is cheap and authentic (about ₪10-15 for a falafel, and around ₪20-22 for a shawarma in a pita).

Another cheap street food is the Bureka—a Turkish phyllo dough, filled pastry—which is almost as common as falafel. Price is also cheap, and it usually comes filled with cheese, potatoes, spinach and feta, or meat.

Further up the food chain are the Middle Eastern/Arabic restaurants. Most are located downtown: Abu-Yousef (there are two with no relation), Hummus Faraj, Hummus Abu-Shaker (on HaMeginim St.), Abu Maroun (in the flea market), Matza (a good place 10 minutes walking distance from the shopping mall "Grand Canyon"). They are all famous for their high quality hummus (which is regarded as the "best of the best" in Israel). Expect to pay ₪50-80 per person for a complete meal.

There are several Romanian-style restaurants; in actuality this is a hybrid of Middle Eastern and Romanian cuisine. Most are located downtown: Ma'ayan HaBira (beer fountain), Cafe (coffee) Glida (icecream) Younek. Expect to pay ₪50-100 per person for a meal.

Moriah Avenue, along the length of this street from the Carmel Center in the north, to the Horev center (shopping mall) in the south. Some good places alongside this 3 km stretch include:

• Charliebar (meat, seafood, hamburgers)
• Frangelico.
• Café Louise.
• Sinta-bar (meat)
• El Gaucho (steaks, kosher)
• Meat In and Out (steaks)
• Canibar (hamburgers)
• Agadir (hamburgers)
• Lechem Erez
• Giraffe (Asian fusion)
• HaBank (cafe with good food)
• Pasta Carolla
• Isabella Bar
• Shipudei HaTikvah (traditional meats and salads, kosher)
• Pomodoro (pizza and pasta, kosher)
• Jacko - one of the best fish and seafood restaurants (on Moriah Street and downtown near Natanson Street). It was a working-class restaurant until it became famous, and increased its prices a bit (₪80-120 per person).
• Japanika (reasonably-priced sushi, Fridays: reservations advised)
• Greg (cafe restaurant)
• Mandarin (cafe)
• Voila (Swiss-French) You can find good food in the local bars around Moriah Avenue, for example: the Duke, Brown, Barbarosa. Good traditional restaurant is Ma'ayan Habira, where home style dishes are served.

Ben-Gurion Avenue, below the Bahai Gardens, connecting the gardens to the port area. This is a trendy area, with some good restaurants, including:

• Isabella - at the entrance of the German Colony. Isabella provides great seafood that caters to a western palate at a mid-range price. Their house wine is pretty good and overall the service is good.
• Fattoush
• Rak Bassar ("Only Meat")
• Ramsis Restaurant
• Captain Nemo (seafood)
• Douzan
• Taiwan (Chinese food)

Wadi Nisnas is mostly frequented for produce and groceries, but there are also a few good eateries in the area. Most of the businesses are on a street called simply "Al-Wadi" (the Valley), or its northern continuation "Shehadeh Saleh", running diagonally from Shabtai Levi St. to HaTsiyonut Boulevard.

• Abdel Hadi Sweets - On Shehadeh Saleh Street, near the intersection with HaTsiyonut. It's marked only in Hebrew and Arabic, but even if you don't know those alphabets you can find it by the Arabic pastries visible through the windows. You can eat in at one of the three or four small tables (the place is mostly built for take-out); their knafeh is particularly good.

Stella Maris, at the San Francisco Observatory. Several restaurants with spectacular views:

• Kalamaris
• Golden Coral

HaNamal, the Port.

• Hanamal 24, Hanamal St 24, +972 4-862-8899. One of the top cuisine restaurants in Haifa. Serving excellent (though high priced as expected) food, desserts and service. Highly advised place for a gourmet dinner. ₪150-200.
• Jacko (seafood)

Dado Beach. Last but not least is the beach strip cluster which has several restaurants. The food is OK, but the real reason to go there is to relax while enjoying views of the beach (only 15 meters away), or for people-watching.

• Shaltieli (kosher)

All these clusters of restaurants are very vibrant with youth at about 9PM further into the small hours of the night, almost at any day of the week, but on Fridays, it may get too crowded on the most popular places. Unfortunately the medium priced places usually take the 'all the people you can squeeze in' approach, thus you might get a noisy crowded place, and service may not be as good.

Frangelico.

Café Louise.

Hanamal 24, Hanamal St 24, +972 4-862-8899. One of the top cuisine restaurants in Haifa. Serving excellent (though high priced as expected) food, desserts and service. Highly advised place for a gourmet dinner. ₪150-200.

Tipping is customary. The normal rate is 15% at all places that you sit down and are served. Don't tip at falafel, shawarma, and bureka stands. If you feel the service was poor, tip less, if it was outstanding tip a little more.

Central Mount Carmel offers a decent selection of mid-class cafes and bars. Popular cafes are Greg and Tut (Strawberry), which are right next to each other in Kikar Sefer.

Closer to the Horev Center, 'Frangelico' and 'Barbarossa' are considered to be the most popular bars. They are often very crowded, but if one can't get in, there are many other bars in close walking distance, such as Brown, Levinsky, Maidler, and Duke.

The beautiful street of Yefe Nof also boasts a cluster of pubs, including a popular Charliebar and Irish-style pub.

Downtown there are some more pubs, including the legendary old-fashioned 'Maayan HaBira', which is more popular among adult crowd; the "Martef" (Basement), where you might also catch an open-mic night; and up the street from HaMartef is Jack and the Beanstalk, a more intimate pub with a great selection of appetizers. Another downtown happening place is the Syncopa bar.

• Greece Greece, 18 Hagefen St, +972 48-522-098.

Greece Greece, 18 Hagefen St, +972 48-522-098.

Haifa is the gateway to Israel's north and northeast.

• Akko – The Shrine of Baha'u'llah, the holiest place for the Baha'is can be found here.
• Nahariyya – Founded in 1934 by German Jews fleeing Nazi oppression, which boasts the crusader Montfort Castle. Do not miss Rosh Haniqra, a short drive further.
• Tiberias – A large Israeli town in the east and great starting point for the Sea of Galilee and Golan Heights.
• Nazareth – The largest Arab city in Israel and best known as the home of Joseph and Mary.
• Jezreel Valley – Famous for Tel Megiddo (Armageddon) National Park and Mount Gilboa overlooking it.
• Druze Villages in the Carmel Range: 30min by service taxi (monit sherut) or longer by bus, line number 37א, to the closer village of Isifya or the more distant village of Daliyat el-Carmel. The tourist-oriented bazaar has inexpensive shops and you can top off the visit in one of the excellent Mid-Eastern restaurants.
• Caesarea & Zarqa Bay – Extensive archaeological site along the coast, and beautiful but not crowded beaches.

[[Caesarea]] & Zarqa Bay – Extensive archaeological site along the coast, and beautiful but not crowded beaches.