Safed

The town of Safed has been an important spiritual centre throughout history, mentioned in the Talmud and fortified by Josephus Flavius against the Romans. The Crusaders made Safed an administrative centre, and after its capture by the Sultan Beibars it was ransacked and despoiled. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, many made their way to Safed and the city blossomed with learning throughout the following century. Jewish mystics came to Safed to study and to write the now classic works of Jewish mysticism.

A wide variety of tourist services are available to the visitor to Safed. There are several hotels, a youth hostel and many rooms for rent.

Many restaurants and shops are centered around the pedestrian mall. The old city is being renovated; amongst its attractions open to the public is a workshop producing beeswax candles. Many of the ancient synagogues (such as the Ari, Karo and Abuhav) are also open to the public. A visitors' centre is now open in the old Saraya building and in the Artists' Quarter, many individual galleries are open to visitors.

Hatzor Hagelilit

A development town near the Machanayim junction. The site here dedicated to Honi Hama'agel, the saintly rainmaker, draws thousands of visitors. Here too are Keren Kayemet picnic sites. In recent years the town has been modernized and one can find a variety of services in the commercial centres.

Tuba - Zangaria

A village populated by the Bedouin tribe of El Heib, Tuba is situated near Kfar Hanassi and overlooks the Jordan River. The tribe settled in this area at the end of the eighteenth century and until the 1960s lived in tents and shacks. Today, the visitor can see traditional lifestyles set in a modern town.

Merom Hagalil

This area, a centre of rural accommodation and recreation, boasts a variety of sites from the graves of Jewish sages to nature reserves, such as Mt. Meron and Nahal Amud. It is full of natural woodland, such as the Baram Oak forest and the Ben Zimra woods.

Here too the visitor can enjoy the widespread forest planted by Keren Kayemet at Ein Zeitim, Farod, Nahal Meron, Hananel Forest, the Armoured Corps monument site and more. Amongst the ancient sites are Birya, Amuka and Kfar Hanania. Main events include the Jewish Music Festival at Sukkot, the Mt. Meron march at Pesach, and summer activities in the Meron area.

Rosh Pina

Soon after entering the Upper Galilee by the modern network of roads from the south, the traveller will arrive in the lower part of Rosh Pina, the first Jewish moshava in the Galilee. Established in 1882, it is built on the slopes of Mt. Canaan and is a recommended stop, especially the old quarter, with its cobblestone streets. Some of the homes of the pioneers have been restored in their original style.

The quarter has attracted many artists who made it their home, and one can visit and view their work. The site includes a beautiful garden (the Baron's Park). A restaurant/pub overlooks the park and the surrounding area.

Rosh Pina offers some 100 guest rooms. It is located at a central crossroads, offering the visitor easy access to all tourist and recreation sites in the Upper Galilee.

Yesud Hama'ala

Founded in 1884, Yesud Hama'ala renewed Jewish settlement in the Hula valley.
The residential area of the village is surrounded by the orchards which are the major source of income of the inhabitants. Wandering around, you will enjoy the street of the founders, which has been declared a national site for preservation. At its eastern end are the ruins of an ancient synagogue dating from the 4th-6th century C.E. The visitor may also see the restored Dubrovin Farm which tells the story of the village and the Dubrovin family of pioneers.

Katzrin

Modern Katzrin is situated near the ruins of an ancient synagogue dating from Talmudic times. The town was planned as a regional centre for the settlements on the Golan Heights, making full use of the site's beautiful vistas and agreeable climate.

Ancient synagogue dating from Talmudic times

Metulla

A traveller in the Galilee won't be able to go any further north than Metulla - not yet anyway. The inhabitants of this quiet farming village, perched on Israel's northernmost range of hills, have traditionally enjoyed good relations with their neighbours in Lebanon. This is exemplified by the Good Fence crossing point, originally the site of a clinic whose good works crossed border fences. (now closed).

Metulla itself is a beautifully maintained mountain resort whose restored stone buildings are a living reminder of the first pioneers - hard stone smoothed by time and nature. The Farmers' House is a turn-of- the-century reconstruction with period furnishings and agricultural implements, a local history museum and archives.