Upper Galilee and the Golan
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Upper Galilee and the Golan - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Ancient Katzrin Park
About 2 km (1 mile) east of downtown Katzrin, this attraction is a partially restored 3rd-century Jewish village. The Katzrin synagogue has decorative architectural details, such as a wreath of pomegranates and amphorae in relief on the lintel above the entrance. The complexity of its ornamentation reflects the importance of the city. Built of basalt, the synagogue was used for 400 years until it was partly destroyed, possibly by an earthquake, in AD 749. Two reconstructed buildings, the so-called House of Uzi and House of Rabbi Abun, are attractively decorated with rope baskets, weavings, baking vessels, and pottery (based on remnants of the originals), and lighted with little clay oil lamps.
Rte. 87, 1290000, Israel04-696–2412Sight Details
Rate Includes: NIS 28, includes Golan Archaeological Museum -
2. Bar'am National Park
The interior of this ancient house of worship, which resembles that of other Galilean synagogues of the Talmudic period (3rd to 8th centuries AD), is less well preserved than the impressive exterior. Rows of pillars in the prayer hall apparently served as supports for the ceiling, and the building may have had a second story. A section of the facade's lintel, now in the Louvre in Paris, contains the Hebrew inscription "May there be peace in this place, and in all the places of Israel. This lintel was made by Jose the Levite. Blessings upon his works. Shalom." Allow at least an hour to wander around or bring a picnic and enjoy it on one of the tables.
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3. Gamla Nature Reserve
Tour the ruins of an ancient town, look out to the cliffs at Gamla Stream canyon, and see Israel's tallest waterfall (51 meters) from an accessible lookout station at this national park and reserve. There are picturesque streams for nature walks, and varied wildlife to spot, including gazelles and nesting bird colonies. The main story of the camel-shape Gamla (the name comes from gamal, the Hebrew word for "camel") goes back to the year AD 67, when at the beginning of the Great Revolt, Vespasian launched a bloody attack here that ended seven months later, when the 9,000 surviving Jews flung themselves to their deaths in the abyss below the town. The vivid descriptions of the battle, as written by Flavius Josephus in The Jewish War, are engraved in stones along the trail site: "Built against the almost vertical flank, the town seemed to be hung in the air"—exactly the impression visitors still have as they approach the site. Because Gamla was never rebuilt, the relics of the battlefield still eerily match the ancient sources, among them the fortifications, 2,000 "missile stones," and a large number of arrowheads. From a much earlier period (probably the 2nd millennium BC), there are about 200 dolmens scattered in the area—strange basalt structures shaped like the Greek letter pi, probably used for burial. There is an excellent film on the story of Gamla at the Golan Archaeological Museum in Katzrin. The raptor observation station is fun for kids.
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4. Tel Hatzor National Park
This site on the Via Maris, an ancient trade route, is a good stop for archaeology buffs—its massive mound is made up of the remnants of 21 cities. The excavation and restoration of some of these antiquities have produced fascinating results. The book of Joshua (11:13) notes that Joshua destroyed Canaanite Hatzor in the 13th century BC, and Israelites resettled it. Its next heyday came three centuries later, when King Solomon decided it would serve him well as a regional military and administrative center, like Megiddo and Gezer. In 732 BC, Hatzor met its end when invading Assyrian king Tiglath Pileser III conquered the Galilee and forced its Israelite inhabitants off the land in chains and into exile. The huge site is divided into two areas: the Upper City, where you can explore the remains of some ancient settlements, and the Lower City, first settled in the 18th century BC. Only the Upper City, covering less than a fifth of the total excavation site, is open to the public. The Hatzor Museum (on the grounds of Kibbutz Ayelet Hashachar, across the highway) houses figurines, weapons, stone pots, and other artifacts unearthed in the two areas; others are at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. It's open by appointment: check ahead.
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