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Modern Haifa is a bustling port city, but unlike many industrial cities, it has a lovely backdrop with high cliffs sloping down to the sea. This is one of the greatest places to come for those looking for a base with easy access to the sites of the north as well as a vibrant café and eating scene.
The central city’s dominant feature, the Baha’i Gardens, adds to Haifa’s hillside setting. The cascading terraces of groomed lawns are the most popular tourist attraction in Haifa.Apart from being a focus of the Baha’i faith, which attracts Baha’i pilgrims from all over the world, the city is also a cultural center.
The current Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery, which was established in 1836, is notable for its beautiful murals depicting St. Elijah.
The inside also has paintings of scenes from the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel’s lives, as well as a cedar figure of the Virgin known as the Madonna of Mt. Carmel.
As a hermetic Catholic group, the Carmelite order was formed on Mount Carmel around 1150. The Carmelite monasteries were destroyed when the order joined with Napoleon in his struggle against the Ottoman Turks in 1799. The grave of the French troops slain during the conflict is located in front of the structure.
The monastery was reconstructed after that, but it was destroyed again in 1821 by the Pasha of Akko (Acre).
Many people come here only for the views, which span across central Haifa and out to sea.
A route runs down from the monastery to the grotto known as Elijah’s cave, which is said to be Elijah’s former home or grave.
Off Tchernikovsky Street in West Haifa
Ride the Haifa Cable Car
The Haifa cable car is by far the most enjoyable method to ascend the steep slope to the Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery.
All the way up, there are superb panoramic vistas of the city and its key sites of interest, making this a fantastic pastime for photographers.
It’s worth noting that the cable car journey is extremely short, and even if you’re not interested in visiting the monastery itself, the views from the viewing point at the top of the hill, across Haifa and down to the Mediterranean, are typically seen well worth taking if you don’t want the walk.
At the peak, there is a tiny cafe that sells snacks.
Address: HaHaganah Street, Galshanim Beach.
Caesarea, halfway between Haifa and Tel Aviv, is home to one of the holy land’s most remarkable historic ruins.
The site has been populated since the 4th century BCE, when the Phoenicians exploited it as a vital port, but it was Herod I (Herod the Great) who built the harbor city here in 22 BCE, complete with temples, a theater, and hippodrome. In honor of the Emperor Augustus, he called the town Caesarea.
From the first century CE until the sixth century CE, the city thrived as the capital of the Roman province of Judea, which subsequently became the Roman province of Syria Palaestina, and as an important center of early Christianity. Both St. Paul and St.
It remained a provincial capital during the Byzantine era until the Arab invasion in 637 CE, after which it persisted but lost prominence. It wasn’t until the Crusader era that the site’s strategic location prompted a rush of construction, with further defenses constructed. Archaeological excavations at the site continue, and a number of significant artifacts from the site, including a third-century BCE figure of Artemis and an important Byzantine mosaic, are currently housed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The Crusader-era city ruins and Roman theater (inside the archaeological park itself) as well as the magnificently melancholic remnant of the city’s Herodian period (on the seashore).
Stroll around Downtown Haifa
Ben-Gurion Thoroughfare is the former main street of the German Protestant colony created here in 1868 by members of the Society of the Temple who thought that establishing in Palestine would herald the Second Coming. The society existed until the Second World War.
The antique houses, with their tiled roofs, have all been renovated and are extremely typical of their era. The Boulevard is currently home to the greatest dining and shopping in Haifa.
The zealous settlers’ cemetery is located to the northwest, at 150 Jaffa Street, close to a British military cemetery from World War I.
Take a Road Trip to Mount Carmel’s Sights
If you have your own vehicles, driving over Mount Carmel’s slopes is a fantastic day excursion from Haifa.
The main historic feature here is the Carmelite Monastery of St. Elijah, where, legend has it, Elijah built an altar during his struggle with the priests of Baal.
The little communities that dot the mountainside are as as interesting as the church, if not more so.
Make a detour to Ein Hod, an artists’ community teeming with galleries. The bones of the “Carmel Man” (a Paleolithic skeleton discovered in caverns six kilometers west of the real hamlet) were discovered in Bet Oren on the lower slopes.
Hang Out on Haifa’s Beaches
For travelers who seek to combine sand and water, Haifa boasts three important beaches.
Bat Galim Beach, located on the city’s northern outskirts, is a popular destination for local water sports lovers. On bright days, windsurfers and kiteboarders take to the waves, and water sports providers rent equipment and offer training.
Carmel Beach, on Haifa’s western beachfront, is mainly about relaxed sunbathing and general lounging and is a popular weekend destination for local families.
Dado Beach, located just south of Carmel Beach, is well-known for its surfing.
All three beaches offer great facilities, including cafés along the beachfront and rental sun umbrellas and sun loungers.
Nesher Park’s lush evergreen forest is a nice area to come for a fast stroll if you need a break from the city in Nesher, just at the southern border of Haifa on Mount Carmel’s northern slope.
The round circuit here is well known for its two 70-meter-long steel cable suspension bridges strung across a deep valley, which make excellent photo opportunities.
There are also other panoramic viewpoint locations throughout the walk that provide further views of the verdant surrounding area.
The shortest and easiest route is less than two kilometers long and is a gentle walk suited for toddlers. The main challenge for hikers who are afraid of heights would be navigating the suspension bridges.
On sunny weekends, the picnic area near the trail’s beginning is typically packed with local families having a nature break.
Explore History at Beit Shearim
This intriguing ancient site, which was recently designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is noteworthy for the spectacular catacombs unearthed by B. Mazar in 1936 and later by N. Avigad.
Although the site has been dated back to the Iron Age, the majority of the remains visible now originate from the 2nd century CE, when the town was at its peak as a prominent rabbinical metropolis.
Exploring the Jewish necropolis here, approximately 20 kilometers southeast of Haifa, is an absorbing half-day journey from the city.
Visit Atlit Immigration Camp
Two historical sites may be found at Atlit, 20 kilometers south of Haifa.
The Atlit Crusader Castle was built in 1200 and was known as Castrum Peregrinorum or Chateau des Pelerins (Castle of the Pilgrims). Unfortunately, you can’t access it anymore because it’s on military property, but you can get an excellent view of the remains from Atlit Beach.
Much more recently, when Jewish refugees from Europe came in British Mandate Palestine following World War II, they were held in Atlit.
The British-built Atlit Immigration Camp, which housed them, has been kept as a museum, with good guided tours available.
