Hammat Tiberias National Park

Israel's spa craze actually has a 2000-year-old history which started at the hot springs of Hammat Tiberias when, during Roman times, they were the focus, if not raison d'être, of a community of 40,000 fervent bathers. Check out the history of the site at the Hammat Tiberias National Park, which features a small museum in what was originally part of a Turkish bathhouse. The main highlight is a synagogue dating from the 3rd to 5th centuries AD, which has a beautiful zodiac mosaic floor.

Much has been made of the mosaic's curious mix of Jewish and pagan symbols, but somehow this seems quite apt in Tiberias, a town that, historically, seems to have been able to reconcile the spiritual with the more earthly. The fame of Hammat Tiberias was such that in AD 110 the Emperor Trajan had a coin struck dedicated to the springs - with the image of Hygeia, the goddess of health, shown sitting on a rock, enjoying the water. The springs were also mentioned by Al-Idris, an Arab writer who lived during the Crusades, and were recommended by the Jewish sage Rambam to his patients.

Hammat Tiberias is 2km north of town. It's a 25 minute walk or you can try waiting for the infrequent bus No 2 or 5.