8 Best Sights in Upper Galilee and the Golan, Israel

Set in the city's old Arab Quarter, the Artists' Colony was established in 1951 by six Israeli artists who saw the promise hidden in Tzfat's war-torn condition. For them, the old buildings, the fertile landscape, and the cool mountain air fused into the magic ingredients of creativity. Others soon followed until, at its peak, the colony was home to more than 50 artists, some of whom exhibit internationally. Many galleries host workshops as well as exhibits, and many are open only in the spring and summer, from about 10 am to 6 pm.

In Talmudic times, hilltop bonfires here served as a beacon to surrounding communities, heralding the beginning of the lunar month, the basis for the Jewish calendar. In the 12th century, the Crusaders grasped the strategic value of this setting and built the Citadel. The Muslim sultan Baybars conquered it in 1266, leaving only the scattered pieces you see today.

The Jewish settlement outside the Citadel's walls grew and prospered during and after the Crusader era, becoming a center of Kabbalah studies. When the departing British Mandate forces left the town's strategic positions to the Arab forces, the remains of the Citadel again became a battleground between Jews and Arabs.

Unveiled in 1886, this public park was created at the request of philanthropist Baron Edmond de Rothschild. Olive and almond trees and fragrant herbs like rosemary are planted in terraces on the hillside so that you can enjoy shade and a tree-framed view of the valley below.

"Defenders' Square" was once the social and economic heart of the Old Jewish Quarter. A sign points to a two-story house that served as the command post of the neighborhood's defense in 1948—hence the plaza's name.

Part of Tzfat's charm is its setting, on the slope of a hill. This ma'alot, or stairway, which extends from Yerushalayim Street to Keren HaYesod Street, forms the boundary between the Old Jewish Quarter and the Artists' Colony. It is named for Tzfat freedom fighters executed by the British during the Mandate.

From the top of this volcanic cone, at an open-air lookout that was once a military outpost, you can see Mount Hermon rising majestically to the north and the Syrian side of the Golan stretching eastward. Opposite is the ruined town of Kuneitra, captured by Israel in 1967, lost and regained in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and returned to Syria in the subsequent disengagement agreement—it is now a demilitarized zone. Modern Kuneitra is in the distance. The cluster of white buildings south of old Kuneitra houses the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force. A pine-cabin shop serving coffees, herbal teas, and a nice selection of snacks is the perfect place to get out of the wind that often sweeps this peak. The lookout is near Kibbutz Merom Golan; signs along the rural roads point the way. It's open all the time.

The most important site on lovely Mount Meron—and one of the holiest places in Israel—is the Tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, survivor of the Bar Kochba Revolt almost 2,000 years ago. The simple building that houses the tomb is a place for quiet reflection and prayer, though you may encounter a bar mitzvah or other festive event in the courtyard outside. Women and men have separate prayer areas, and all are expected to dress modestly (cover-ups are available for those who don't have them).

Signs point to the Tomb of Rashbi, which is the Hebrew acronym of the rabbi's name.

Bar Yochai is said to have fled from the Romans with his son Elazar after the fall of Jerusalem to a cave at Peki'in, not far from here, where he remained for 13 years. The faithful, beginning with the 16th-century mystics who settled in Tzfat, believe that from his cave-hideout Bar Yochai penned the Zohar (The Book of Splendor), his commentary on the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Others claim that the Zohar dates from 13th-century Spain. Nevertheless, the constant flow of visitors is evidence of the pilgrims' devotion to the great rabbi and rebel.

The pilgrimage is still celebrated en masse on Lag Ba'Omer, the festive 33rd day of the seven solemn weeks that begin with Passover. At this time Mount Meron comes alive as a grand procession arrives on foot from Tzfat, with many participants carrying Torah scrolls and singing fervently. Bonfires are lighted, with celebrations lasting days.

Mount Meron is the highest peak in Israel after Mount Hermon, and parts of it are a nature reserve (www.parks.org.il) with hiking trails.

Perched on the northern edge of Kiryat Shmona is Tel Hai, meaning "Hill of Life," a site that played an important role in Israel's history. In the aftermath of World War I, while Britain and France bickered over control of the Upper Hula Valley, bands of Arabs often harassed the Jewish farms, and finally overran Tel Hai in 1920. Only Kibbutz Kfar Giladi was successful in defending itself.

Following this incident, Tel Hai resident Josef Trumpeldor and seven comrades were called on to protect the place. Trumpeldor already had a reputation as a leader in the czar's army in his native Russia. Fired by Zionist ideals, he had moved to Palestine in 1912 at the age of 32. During the final battle in 1920, Trumpeldor and his comrades were killed, and it is for them that Kiryat Shmona—City of the Eight—is named. It is said that Trumpeldor's last words were: "It is good to die for our country." He is buried up the road from the Tel Hai Courtyard Museum, beneath the statue of a lion.

The heroic last stand at Tel Hai was important not only because it was the first modern instance of Jewish armed self-defense, but also because the survival of at least two of the Jewish settlements meant that when the final borders were drawn by the League of Nations in 1922, these settlements were included in the British-mandated territory of Palestine and thus, after 1948, in the State of Israel.