Haifa and the Northern Coast
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1. Baha'i Shrine and Gardens
The most striking feature of the stunning gardens that form the centerpiece of Haifa is the Shrine of the Bab, whose brilliantly gilded dome dominates the city's skyline. The renovated shrine gleams magnificently with 11,790 gold-glazed porcelain tiles. Haifa is the world center for the Baha'i faith, founded in Iran in the 19th century. It holds as its central belief the unity of mankind. Religious truth for Baha'is consists of progressive revelations of a universal faith. Thus the Baha'is teach that great prophets have appeared throughout history to reveal divine truths, among them Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, and most recently, the founder of the Baha'i faith, Mirza Husayn Ali, known as Baha'u'llah—“the Glory of God." The Shah and then the Ottomans exiled Baha'u'llah (1817–92) from his native Persia to Akko, where he lived as a prisoner for almost 25 years. The Baha'is holiest shrine is on the grounds of Baha'u'llah's home, where he lived after his release from prison and is now buried, just north of Akko. Here in Haifa, at the center of the shrine's pristinely manicured set of 19 garden terraces, is the mausoleum built for the Bab (literally, the "Gate"), who heralded the coming of a new faith to be revealed by Baha'u'llah and who was martyred by the Persian authorities in 1850. Baha'u'llah's son and successor built the gardens and shrine and had the Bab's remains reburied here in 1909. The building, made of Italian stone and rising 128 feet, gracefully combines the canons of classical European architecture with elements of Eastern design and also houses the remains of Baha'u'llah's son. The dome glistens with some 12,000 gilded tiles imported from the Netherlands. Inside, the floor is covered with rich Asian carpets, and a filigree veils the serene inner shrine. The magnificent gardens, with their gravel paths, groomed hedges, and 12,000 plant species, are a sight to behold: stunningly landscaped circular terraces extend from Yefe Nof Street for 1 km (½ mile) down the hillside to Ben Gurion Boulevard, at the German Colony. The terraces are a harmony of color and form—pale pink-and-gray-stone flights of stairs and carved urns overflowing with red geraniums set off the perfect cutouts of emerald green grass and floral borders, dark green trees, and wildflowers, with not a leaf out of place anywhere. The gardens, tended by 120 dedicated gardeners, are one of Israel's 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Three areas are open to the public year-round, except on Baha'i holidays: the shrine and surrounding gardens ( 80 Hatzionut Ave., near Shifra St.); the upper terrace and observation point ( Yefe Nof St.); and the entry at the lower terrace ( Hagefen Sq., at the end of Ben Gurion Blvd.). Free walk-in tours in English are given at noon every day except Wednesday. These depart from 45 Yefe Nof Street, near the top of the hill. Note: the Shrine of the Bab is a pilgrimage site for the worldwide Baha'i community; visitors to the shrine are asked to dress modestly (no shorts).
80 Hatzionut Ave., 31001, Israel04-831–3131Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Shrine closed daily after noon -
2. German Colony
Although it runs along a single boulevard, "The Colony" packs in history (with explanatory placards), interesting architecture, great restaurants, and wonderful spots for people-watching. Ben Gurion Boulevard was the heart of a late-19th-century colony established by the German Templer religious reform movement. Along either side are robust, two-story, chiseled limestone houses with red-tile roofs. Many bear German names, dates from the 1800s, biblical inscriptions on the lintels, and old wooden shutters framing narrow windows. Neglected for years, the German Colony is now one of the city's loveliest (and flattest) strolls. It's best to start your exploration around Yaffo (Jaffa) Street so that you're walking toward the stunning Baha'i Gardens. Along the way you can have a meal or cup of coffee, explore the shops in the City Centre Mall, and learn about the history of the Templers. Any time of day is pleasant, but evening, when the cafés and restaurants are brimming with people, is best. The Templers' colony in Haifa was one of seven in the Holy Land. The early settlers formed a self-sufficient community; by 1883, they had built nearly 100 houses and filled them with as many families. Industrious workers, they introduced the horse-drawn wagon—unknown before their arrival—to Haifa. They also built with their own funds a pilgrimage road from Haifa to Nazareth. The Germans' labors gave rise to modern workshops and warehouses, and it was under their influence that Haifa began to resemble a modern city, with well-laid-out streets, gardens, and attractive homes. Haifa's importance to Germany was highlighted in 1898, when Kaiser Wilhelm II sailed into the bay on the first official visit to the Holy Land by a German emperor in more than 600 years. In the 1930s, many Templers began identifying with German nationalism and the Nazi party. During World War II, the British deported them as nationals of an enemy country.
Ben Gurion Blvd., Israel -
3. Carmel Beach
With its attractive boardwalk and beachside kiosks, Carmel Beach sits in front of the Leonardo Hotel at the southern entrance to Haifa. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming.
Access via Andrei Sakharov St., 3508100, IsraelSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
4. Carmelite Monastery and Stella Maris Church
The imposing Stella Maris (Latin for "Star of the Sea") is graced by wall and ceiling paintings that bring to life the dramatic story of the prophet Elijah, the patron of the Carmelite order, as well as depicting King David, the Holy Family, and the four evangelists. During the Crusader period, hermits emulating Elijah's ascetic life lived in caves on this steep mountain slope. In the early 13th century, they united under the leadership of St. Berthold, who petitioned the patriarch of Jerusalem for a charter. Thus was born the Carmelite order, which spread across Europe. The Carmelite monks were forced to leave their settlements on Mount Carmel at the end of the 13th century and could not return for nearly four centuries. When they found Elijah's cave inhabited by Muslim dervishes, they set up a monastery nearby. The church of the present monastery dates from 1836 and was built with the munificence of the French monarchy, hence the name of the surrounding neighborhood: French Carmel. A small pyramid memorial topped with an iron cross commemorates those French who were slaughtered here by the Turks in 1799 after the retreating Napoléon left his ailing troops behind at the monastery. Inside, paintings in the dome depict Elijah in the chariot of fire (in which he ascended to heaven) and other biblical prophets. The small grotto a few steps down at the end of the nave is traditionally associated with Elijah and his pupil, Elisha.
Stella Maris Rd., 3505370, Israel04-833–7758Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
5. Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum
The rather dull name of this museum belies the dramatic story it tells of the heroic efforts to bring Jewish immigrants to Palestine from war-torn Europe in defiance of British policy. In 1939, on the eve of World War II, the British issued the so-called White Paper, which effectively strangled Jewish immigration to Palestine. Out of 63 clandestine ships that tried to run the blockade after the war's end, all but five were intercepted, and their passengers were deported to Cyprus. The museum—full of moving stories of courage and tenacity—is centered on the Af Al Pi Chen (Hebrew for "Nevertheless"), a landing craft, which attempted to bring 434 Jewish refugees ashore. A photomural and model of the celebrated ship the Exodus recalls the story of the 4,530 refugees aboard who were forcibly transferred back to Germany in 1947, but not before the British forces opened fire on the ship. The history of Israel's navy, told here in impressive detail, begins with the transformation of these clandestine immigration craft into warships.
204 Allenby Rd., 35472, Israel04-853–6249Sight Details
Rate Includes: NIS 15, Closed Fri. and Sat. -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Dado Beach
South HaifaOn Saturday at Dado Beach, Haifa's longest sandy stretch, Israelis of all ages come and folk dance to the delight of onlookers. You can also find exercise equipment, picnic areas, and a small bathing pool for young children. The northern part of the beach is wheelchair accessible, as are the restrooms and showers. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming.
3508100, IsraelSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
7. Elijah's Cave
Jews, Christians, and Muslims consider this site sacred; an early Byzantine tradition identified it as the cave in which Elijah found refuge from the wrath of Ahab, king of Israel from 871 to 853 BC. Graffiti from pilgrims of various faiths and centuries are scrawled on the right wall, and written prayers are often stuffed into crevices. Modest dress is required. The cave is a pretty 20-minute walk down the fairly steep path that begins across from the entrance to the Carmelite Monastery and Stella Maris Church and descends past the lighthouse and World War II fortification. It is more easily accessible by a short flight of stairs that rises from Allenby Road not far from the Bat Galim cable-car station.
230 Allenby Rd., 31090, Israel04-852–7430Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Sat. -
8. Haifa Museum of Art
This museum, on the southern edge of the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood, displays artwork from all over the world, dating from the mid-18th century to the present. It also serves as a special repository of contemporary Israeli art. Included are 20th-century graphics and contemporary paintings, sculptures, and photographs. The print collection is of special note, as are frequent solo exhibitions by young Israeli artists. The museum also houses an interactive children's wing.
26 Shabbetai Levy St., 3304331, Israel04-911–5991Sight Details
Rate Includes: NIS 35 -
9. Haifa Zoo
Amid masses of trees and lush foliage in the Gan Ha'Em park is a seemingly happy collection of roaring lions and tigers, big brown bears, chattering monkeys, stripe-tailed lemurs, a placid camel, lots of snakes and reptiles, one croc, a kangaroo, and fierce-eyed eagles and owls—plus a bat cave and a waterbird pond. It's a hilly place, but a tram can take you up the steepest terrain. A small natural history museum and petting zoo complement the regular educational exhibits.
124 Hatishbi St., 34455, Israel04-837–2390Sight Details
Rate Includes: NIS 45, Closed Fri. and Sat. -
10. Hecht Museum
It's worth the trip to Haifa University to see this museum's archaeological treasures. At the summit of Mount Carmel, in the main campus tower (called Eshkol Tower), the museum has a collection that spans the millennia from the Chalcolithic era to the Roman and Byzantine periods, concentrating on "The People of Israel in Eretz Israel." The artifacts include religious altars and lamps, Bronze Age figurines, inscribed seals from the biblical period, and a 2,400-year-old ship. Featured prominently are finds from the excavations of Jerusalem's Temple Mount. A separate art wing displays a small collection of paintings, mostly impressionist works by Monet, Soutine, and Modigliani, among others. The roof observation deck, on the 27th floor, has spectacular views.
199 Abu Hushi St., 3498838, Israel04-825–7773Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
11. Hof HaShaket
North of the Leonardo Hotel, and next to the Rambam Medical Center, the quiet Hof HaShaket has separate gender days: Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday for women; Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for men; Saturday for everyone. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers. Best for: solitude; swimming.
Entrance from Cheyl HaYam St., 3508100, IsraelSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
12. Mané Katz Museum
This whitewashed building on Panorama Road is the house and studio where the expressionist painter Emmanuel Katz (1894–1962) lived and worked for the last four years of his life. Katz spent the 1920s in Paris, where he exhibited with a group of avant-garde Jewish artists from the École de Paris. As in the canvases of fellow members Marc Chagall and Chaim Soutine, a recurring theme in his work is the village life of Eastern European Jews. Besides Katz's paintings, drawings, and sculptures are the Ukrainian-born artist's collection of rugs, 17th-century antiques from Spain and Germany, and Judaica.
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13. National Maritime Museum
About 5,000 years of maritime history in the Mediterranean and Red Sea are told with model ships, ancient anchors, coins minted with nautical symbols, navigational instruments, and other artifacts. There are also intriguing underwater finds from nearby excavations and shipwrecks. The ancient-art collection is one of the finest in the country, comprising mostly Greek and Roman stone and marble sculpture, Egyptian textiles, Greek pottery, and encaustic grave portraits from Fayyum, in Lower Egypt. Particularly rare are the figures of fishermen from the Hellenistic period, as well as a 1st-century wooden boat rescued in the 1980s from the muddy bottom of the Sea of Galilee.
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14. National Museum of Science, Technology, and Space (MadaTech)
Housed in a landmark building (designed by Alexander Baerwald, a German Jewish architect, in the early 20th century) that was the original home of the Technion, Israel's MIT, this museum features excellent interactive exhibits sure to captivate children and adults alike. Explore the mysteries of DNA, the disorientations of mirrors and visual illusions, or the promises of green energy.
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15. Technion
Neve Sha'ananIsrael's top university for science and technology, the 300-acre Israeli Institute of Technology is highly fertile ground for cutting-edge research in such fields as engineering, medicine, architecture, and computer science. Founded in 1912, it is the country's oldest university and a key to Israel's reputation and success as a "start-up nation" of innovators. The Coler-California Visitors Center has a virtual tour of the institute and multimedia touch-screen videos.
3200003, Israel04-829–3775Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Fri. and Sat., Reservations must be made 24 hrs in advance -
16. Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art
Established in 1957 by renowned collector Felix Tikotin, this graceful venue on the crest of Mount Carmel adheres to the Japanese tradition of displaying beautiful objects in harmony with the season, so exhibits change every three months. The Japanese atmosphere, created in part by sliding doors and partitions of wood and paper, enhances a display of scrolls, screens, pottery and porcelain, lacquer and metalwork, paintings from several schools, and fresh-flower arrangements. The library houses some 3,000 volumes related to Japanese art.
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17. Vista of Peace Sculpture Garden
You can contemplate one of the 29 buoyant life-size bronzes of children and animals from a bench on the winding path through this little jewel of a garden, which commands a sweeping view of Haifa Bay and beyond. Sculptor Ursula Malbin, who came to Israel as a refugee from Nazi Germany, created this oasis west of the Baha'i Shrine. It opens at sunrise and closes at 6.
112 Hazionut Ave., 3564616, IsraelSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
18. Yefe Nof Street
Merkaz CarmelAlso known as Panorama Road, this gently curving street high above the city skirts behind Haifa's biggest hotels, providing remarkable views. Enjoy the beauty of the lushly planted Louis Promenade, with shaded benches along the way, beginning behind the Dan Carmel Hotel. On a clear day, from any of several lookouts you can see the port below, Akko across the bay, and the cliffs of Rosh Hanikra, with Lebanon in the distance. Panorama Road is spectacular during both day and night.
31060, Israel -
19. Zamir Beach
South HaifaJust next to Dado Beach, Zamir Beach is regarded as one of the best in Haifa, with fine golden sand and many amenities, including coffeehouses, restaurants, access for people with mobility issues, and even Wi-Fi. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.
3508107, IsraelSight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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