3 Best Sights in Around Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, Israel

Legend has it that when Mary stopped here to nurse the baby Jesus, a drop of milk fell on the floor in this cavelike grotto and the walls turned white. The grotto and the church above are beautiful, especially just before sunset when the light catches the stained-glass windows.

Reached by a 20-minute hike, this ancient Greek Orthodox monastery is built into the cliffs overlooking Wadi Qelt, a desert streambed that fills with water during the winter rains. The monastery was one of many established in the desert outside Jerusalem in the 4th century, and it has drawn devoted monks and pilgrims ever since. With several previous versions destroyed in various wars and earthquakes, most of the current building stems from an extensive renovation project in the 19th century, but some sections are much older. There are mosaics from the 6th century, elaborate wooden doors from the 12th century, and a chapel inside a cave where some believe the prophet Elijah once took refuge. The monks living here offer visitors coffee, tea, and cold water and are happy to answer questions about their lifestyle. Modest dress is required, including long skirts for women. Both Israeli- and Palestinian-plated cars are allowed here.

Trappist monks have been producing wine here since the 1890s. The interior of the 19th-century abbey is an odd mix, with round neo-Byzantine arches and apses and a soaring, Gothic-inspired ceiling. Survivors of the Cistercian Order suppressed in the French Revolution, the Trappists keep a vow of silence. But the staff of the shop, which sells wine, olive oil, and other items made on-site, chats with you in English, French, Hebrew, or Arabic, and offers wine tastings. The setting in the foothills is lovely.