Israel:
Imagining history
... an ontheglobe.com tourism promotion project ...

In June of 2005, ontheglobe.com was invited by the hosting operations division of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism to undertake a tourism promotion project. This guided week-long visit was supported by Malev Hungarian Airlines, the airline providing the air transportation for the two-member ontheglobe.com team.

Our visit began on 11 June, 2005 in Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial, financial, cultural and entertainment centre. We stayed at the David Intercontinental Hotel, perched high above the city. We proceeded to a tour of Old Jaffa, the ancient seaport, where we visited the Ilana Goor Museum. We then toured Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Rothschild Boulevard with its splendid Bauhaus buildings and Neve Tzedek - the oldest quarter of the city. We then enjoyed the seafront promenade and beachfront areas of Tel Aviv.

Our visit then took us through the Judean Hills to visit Mini-Israel, a landscaped park containing hundreds of miniatures of Israel's historical, cultural and religious sites.

That evening, we tasted the nightlife of Tel Aviv, after being hosted by the Boya Fish and Meat Restaurant in the old port area.

The next day, we drove through Netanya, visiting the city's beaches and seaside promenades before heading to Caesarea National Park, viewing the remains of the former Roman Capital and Crusader city. We toured the Roman theater, hippodrome and renovated port area. We then followed the Mediterranean coast to the Carmel region, the heart of Israel's wine industry, visiting the family-run Tishby Winery in Binyamina. We then proceeded to the Druze villages of Ussafiya and Daliyat El Carmel and their colourful markets. That evening we arrived in Haifa, Israel's third largest city, dining at the HaShmura 1872 restaurant.

The next day we toured Haifa, its panoramic views from the Louis Promenade. We walked through the Bahai Shrine and gardens, and the renovated German colony bellow before continuing to Akko, the ancient Phoenician and Crusader seaport. We were given a tour of the Old Walled city, including the fisherman's port, bazaar and Turkish hamam.

That afternoon we headed out to Kibbutz Ayelet HaShahar in the Upper Galilee for a jeep tour of Galilee and the Golan Heights region before heading south to Tiberias, the historical resort town on the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinnereth). That evening we stayed in Tiberias at Scottish Hotel St. Andrew's Galilee before a waterfront meal at Decks Barbeque Gourmet Restaurant in the Tiberias Lido.

The next morning we visited some of the Christian Holy sites around the Sea of Galilee. We saw the Mount of Beatitudes, the traditional site of the Sermon on the Mount; the Tabgha, a church commemorating the Miracle of the multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes; and Capernaum, the ancient Jewish fishing village where Jesus began his ministry.

We then toured Bet Shean at the excavations of Scythopolis, ruins of the Roman and Byzantine city with its theater and colonnaded street. From here we traveled along the Jordan Valley towards the Dead Sea region, the lowest place on earth.

We continued towards Ein Bokek, a health and tourism resort on the Southern part of the Dead Sea, and checked into the Crowne Plaza (Holiday Inn). Here we experienced the spa facilities, and floated in the Dead Sea at the beach before dining at the Sato-Bistro Restaurant.

On Wednesday morning, June 15th, we drove along the Dead Sea twoards Masada, where we took a cable-car to the excavations of Herod's fortress-palace, the last stronghold in the Jewish revolt against the Romans in 73 CE. We then continued along the Dead Sea towards Kibbutz Ein Gedi, a botanical garden in this oasis of sorts. From here, we visited Qumeran, where in caves nearby the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

The next day we made our way to Jerusalem, Israel's capital, where we ate Mediterranean-style at the Olive and Fish Restaurant. We stayed at the Dan Panorama Hotel.

The next day we visited Ophel Archeological Park at the Southern Wall excavations where we saw a presentation of Jerusalem during the Second Temple Period. We then visited Temple Mount, the site of biblical Mount Moriah with the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosques. We then made our way to the Western Wall, and Judaism's sacred site and Western Wall Tunnels excavations.

We visited the Tower of David, the ramparts walk on Old City Walls, the Christian area, including the Via Dolorosa and its 14 stations of the cross and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

That evening we dined at 1868 Fish French Restaurant.

The next and final day began with a visit to Yad Vashem, the National Memorial and Museum of the Holocaust. We visited Mount Herzl, where Israel's former Prime Minister and Presidents are burried. We then proceeded to the Israel Museum, followed by a panoramic view of Jerusalem from Mount Scopus, and visited Mount of Olives overlooking the Old City with its ancient Jewish cemetary and important churches.

On the right of this screen, please feel free to view some of the articles and images from our mission to Israel.

For inquiries, please email us at:
info@ontheglobe.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

around the globe ISRAEL [GALLERY]


Imagining history
Historical chasms of the Holy Land
[ontheglobe.com]

Ilana Goor
Her corner of paradise
[ontheglobe.com]