Upper Galilee and the Golan Sights

Shopping Nightlife Performing Arts

1. Mount Hermon

The summit of Mount Hermon—famous as Israel's highest mountain, at 9,230 feet above sea level—is actually in Syrian territory. Its lower slopes attract winter visitors to the country's only ski resort, though summer is arguably the most interesting time on Hermon. After the winter snows melt, hikers can discover chasms and hidden valleys here, the long-term result of extremes in temperature. A powerful array of colors and scents emerges from the earth as the summer sun draws out cockscomb, chamomile, and scores of other flowers and wild herbs. Approaching from Nimrod's Fortress, you'll pass Moshav Neve Ativ, designed to look like a little piece of the Alps in the Middle East, complete with A-frame chalet-style houses, a handful of which have guest rooms. A detour through the old Druze village of Majdal Shams offers a number of good eateries. Ein Kiniya, another Druze village, appears across a valley on your left as you head east into the Golan on Route 99, is the most picturesque in the area. The houses are built from the black basalt typical of the Golan.