Page 38 - Discover Israel Magazine - 2017 edition

located in Katzrin, the Golan’s only city (Tel:
04-696-1350; Website: http://museum.
golan.org.il). The rich collection of this
impressive museum brings together amazing
archaeological treasures that were unearthed
throughout the region. You can also watch a
film about the ancient city of Gamla, which
was a large Jewish city in the Golan until it
was sacked by the Romans in 68 CE. After
visiting the museum, it’s worthwhile to stop
at the nearby Katzrin Talmudic Village, a
reconstruction of the village that existed here
in the early years of the first millennium (Tel: and boats to enjoy the river’s calm waters
04-696-2412).
Having mentioned Gamla, here’s a
reminder that the site offers a marvelous
combination of incredible views, natural
beauty and remains of the past. The site
boasts two world-class attractions: a unique
concentration of birds of prey, including some
rare species; and the remains of the Gamla
synagogue, one of the world’s oldest known
synagogues. The site offers three walking
trails, observation points and Israel’s highest
waterfall, the Gamla, which cascades down
from a height of 170 feet (Tel: 04-682-2282).
Day Two – The Art of Man and
Nature
One of the Golan’s most riveting natural
geological phenomena is the Hexagon
(Meshushim) Pool, surrounded by formations
of six-sided basalt pillars that were created by 04-696-2885), it has a good restaurant
long-ago lava flows. To see this wonder, you’ll
need to set off on an energetic morning hike
in one of the Golan’s most beautiful parks –
the Yehudiya Forest Nature Reserve. It’s an
adventurous trail with a stunning panoramic
lookout point overlooking the eastern Golan
The Land of Wine and
Olives
• The secret of the magic and high
quality of the Golan’s fine wines can
be attributed to the area’s rich and
fertile basalt soil, its special climatic
conditions and its stringent production
processes. Produced from grapes
grown in the Golan, these outstanding
wines have garnered top prizes in
international competitions. A tour
of the various wineries, from boutique
operations to large-scale facilities, is
fascinating and enjoyable – tastings
are included!
• For thousands of years, olive trees
have been cultivated in the Golan
Heights for the production of high-
quality olive oil. Today the area is
dotted with modern pressing facilities
that produce exceptional olive oil,
which has won praise and prizes all
over the world.
38 D I S C O V E R I S R A E L
Heights, dolmens (mysterious ancient stone A signpost beside the trail leading to Gamla, citing a quote
structures), a fairly challenging path that from the Roman-era historian Josephus. In the background,
includes descending with the help of metal remains of the city of Gamla. Photo: Israel Eshed
handholds, and the astoundingly clear pool
surrounded by hexagonal stone columns (Tel: Where to Eat and Sleep
04-682-0238).
• Most of the restaurants in the
Another beautiful nature reserve is the Yarden Golan serve wonderful meat
Park, which runs along the banks of the cuisine, and the dairy restaurants are
Jordan River with lots of shaded waterways, outstanding. Almost all restaurants
ancient flour mills, an archaeological tel, a have children’s menus, too.
fishing site, and a facility for renting kayaks • One of the best options for
accommodations is the well-
(Tel: 04-692-3422). developed network of fine bed-and-
breakfasts and guestrooms spread
And from the art of nature to manmade throughout the Golan. These
art: Many Golan residents are engaged in attractive and well-appointed facilities
artistic creation, so you’ll find an abundance often include Jacuzzis, small kitchens
of galleries, artists’ studios and workshops and a loft for the kids to sleep in.
to visit. At Moshav Aniam, most of whose Other possibilities include hotels,
residents are artists, the Artists Village hostels and field schools.
features a central lane lined with galleries,
souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes (Tel: Continuing northward, you’ll pass picturesque
054-522-8130). Druze villages built into the hillsides in pastoral
style. The villages offer an array of tourist
The afternoon hours are perfect for going services, including restaurants, guestrooms,
up to Mitzpeh Shalom, a lookout in Kfar and a hospitality tent that showcases Druze
Haruv in the southern Golan that offers a traditions.
breathtaking view of Lake Kinneret and the
Galilee mountains. During the 1967 Six-Day Then you’ll want to visit Nimrod’s Fortress,
War, the Israel Defense Forces liberated the a well-preserved medieval stronghold atop
settlements in the valley below from being a high ridge overlooking a narrow valley.
shelled by the Syrian army from this exact On summer nights, you can join an exciting
spot. Now called the Shalom Lookout (Tel: guided tour that takes you through the
fortress’s corridors and secret passageways
that takes in the spectacular view and is an by lantern light (Tel: 04-694-9277).
excellent place to wind up the day.
And finally, we’ve arrived at the roof of
Day Three – To the Israel – Mt. Hermon. In the winter, it’s a well-
Northernmost Point developed ski facility and in the summer,
as the snows melt, its slopes are festooned
Today will take you to the northern Golan with gorgeous wildflowers. The view from
Heights, where you’ll finish up on Israel’s the top is simply stupendous – you can see
highest mountain – Mt. Hermon. A great start wide swaths of Israel and understand just
to the morning is to go up (by foot or by car) how important this peak is to preserving the
to the lookout point on Mt. Bental, where country’s security.
you’ll be invigorated by the stunning view of
the Syrian city of Kuneitra and Mt. Hermon. For any additional information, including
The lookout features the remains of an Israeli details on accommodations, attractions,
army outpost, as well as a nice café. restaurants and wineries, as well as help in
planning your Golan itinerary, call the Golan
To complete this segment of the trip, it’s Tourist Information Center: 04-696-2885.
worth getting out – for a self-drive adventure
in one of the all-terrain vehicles you can rent
at Kibbutz Ein Zivan (Tel: 050-900-1070;
Website: www.enzivan.co.il) or Moshav
Odem (Tel: 050-520-6050). Take a tour of the
Kuneitra Valley and the Odem Forest.
From Mt. Bental, a 10-minute drive brings
you to the Oz 77 site, which is named after
the armored battalion that fought a fierce
battle here in the 1973 Yom Kippur War
under the command of Avigdor Kahalani.
The observation point overlooks the Valley of
Tears. At nearby Kibbutz Ortal, you can watch
a moving film about the history of the 77th
Armored Battalion, as told by its fighters (Tel:
04-683-8016; Website: www.oz77.co.il).