Things to do in Haifa
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Baha'i Gardens
With every tree trimmed to perfection and every blade of grass seemingly cut to the exact same height, the 18 terraces of the Baha'i Gardens are truly a sight to behold.
The gardens are one of the two great holy places for members of the Baha'i faith, an independent movement that originated in Persia in the middle of the 19th century. The Baha'i are based in the area because the faith's founder, Baha'ullah spent 25 years imprisoned in nearby Akko.
The Baha'i faith is one of the world's youngest religions, established only in the middle of the 19th century. Its central belief is in equality and unity, and it clings to the notion that many prophets have appeared throughout h…
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Bat Galim Beach
Ports tend to make a mess of the coast so it's not too surprising that Haifa's beaches are infamously toxic and strewn with garbage. Case in point is Bat Galim Beach , considered one of the best surf breaks in the country and host to international competitions - surfers constantly lament its piles of rusting metal, bricks, concrete, disused furniture and other refuse.
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Greg Coffee
Decorated with kettles and jars of spices and coffee beans, Greg might remind you of your mom's kitchen back home. Aside from the homy feel, you get excellent coffee and brownies, while laptop users can access the free wi-fi.
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German Colony
At least once during your stay in Haifa, walk up Ben-Gurion Ave from Jaffa Rd and enjoy the splendour that is the German Colony backed by the cascading lights of the Baha'i Gardens. The colony (really just this street), was renovated in the 1990s into the city's premier address for shopping and dining, with many of its buildings restored and given plaques that describe the history of the area. Haifa's tourist information centre is also located here.
Part of the renovation required that the entire street be moved 168cm, so that its centre divide would line up with the staircase of Baha'i Gardens.
The colony was established in 1869 by the Templers (not to be confused with th…
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Fatoush
Set up like a medieval Arabic house, complete with burgundy cushions, nargileh (water pipes) and candle lamps, Fatoush is an atmospheric and popular restaurant serving a fusion of Western and Middle Eastern cuisine. It's named after a kind of salad eaten by poor people of the Levant - a Middle Eastern version of peasant pie - but there is much more to the menu than fatoush.
Try the aroos al-wadi (pride of the valley), baked bread topped with minced calf meat, or tasty seafood dishes. You can dine inside a cavernous underground chamber or, in pleasant weather, it's just as nice to eat under the olive trees on the street-side patio.
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Hof HaCarmel Beach
Ports tend to make a mess of the coast so it's not too surprising that Haifa's beaches are infamously toxic and strewn with garbage. If you really fancy some sun-worshipping in Haifa, you should head for the much more attractive Hof HaCarmel Beach, in the south of the city. The beach has an inviting promenade with a number of restaurants and cafés, some of them upscale places serving steak and seafood. Folk dancing is held here on Saturdays (11:00 February to June and 19:00 July to January).
Trains from Haifa Merkaz come here every 20 minutes for around ₪5.
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Beer House
The Beer House is a little downtrodden but if you are after some very nice beer it's hard to beat. The bartender can guide you through the complexities of the 120 types of beers on offer and provides good commentary with friendly service to boot. They usually recommend a fruity Belgian beer (try the peach). They also serve food and do a nice smoked meat platter. It's below street level in Gan Ha'em Park.
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HaShaqet Beach
Ports tend to make a mess of the coast so it's not too surprising that Haifa's beaches are infamously toxic and strewn with garbage. You might want to try the religious HaShaqet Beach , located on the east side of Rambam Medical Centre, which is open to men Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and open to women Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Saturday is mixed.
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Dinner Rush
A concept bar, this one has the bartenders doubling as chefs who serve up American diner-style food - pasta, burgers and chicken wings. Portions are large, reasonably priced and usually satisfying, but avoid the disappointing goulash. The food comes up hot and fast; it's right next to the Gan Ha'em metro station.
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Auditorium Mall
Auditorium Mall , Located in the Carmel Centre next to the Cinematheque. It's small, but handy if you are staying in the area, and contains a Steimatzky bookshop, supermarket and pharmacy.
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Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery
The Carmelites are a Catholic order that originated in the late 12th century when a band of Crusaders, inspired by the prophet Elijah, opted for a hermetic life on the western slopes of Mt Carmel (hence the name). The desired solitude was rarely granted as, over the centuries, the Carmelites suffered Muslim persecution, frequently having to abandon their monasteries.
Occasionally, the Carmelites did have a hand in their own misfortune, as in 1799 when they extended their hospitality to Napoleon during his campaign against the Turks. The French lost their battle for the region and the Carmelites lost their monastery.
The present monastery and church, built over what the Car…
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Elijah's Cave
One of Israel's holiest sites (a holy place for three faiths), Elijah's Cave is where the prophet Elijah is believed to have hidden from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel after he slew the 450 priests of Ba'al (Kings 1:17-19).
There is also a Christian tradition that the Holy Family sheltered here on their return from Egypt, hence the alternative Christian name, Cave of the Madonna. Enter the cave in modest dress.
Although prior to 1948 the cave was a mosque dedicated to Khadar (the Green Prophet), Elijah in Muslim guise, these days the rock chamber is usually crammed full of praying Haredim. Outside, the garden is a favourite picnic spot for local Christian Arabs.
The cave is lo…
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Clandestine Immigration & Navy Museum
The Clandestine Immigration & Navy Museum may sound a bit bland but it's actually quite fascinating and worth a visit. The museum deals with the successes and failures of the Zionists' illegal attempts to infiltrate into British-blockaded Palestine in the 1930s and '40s. The centrepiece of the museum (quite literally - the building has been constructed around it) is a boat, the Af-Al-Pi-Chen (Hebrew: Nevertheless), whose hold carried 434 refugees to Palestine in 1947.
The boat was intercepted by the British and its passengers were forced into internment camps in Cyprus. Other stories are told about the famed Exodus, a ship that carried over 4500 passengers that was forced…
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Carmel Hai Bar
The Carmel Hai Bar is a functioning wildlife preserve where wild goats, wild sheep and deer are bred and monitored until they can be released into the wild. The entrance to the reserve is on Rte 672, about 300m past the Haifa University. It's a good idea to call first as hours are sporadic.
The preserve is on the edge of Carmel National Park, known locally as the Shveytsaria HaK'tana (Little Switzerland). It is renowned for its fertility; vineyards covered the area in ancient times and the name Carmel is derived from the Hebrew Kerem-El (Vineyard of God). For some pleasant walking or for a picnic, take bus No 92 from Herzl St in Hadar or Carmel Centre and just get off whe…
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Reuben & Edith Hecht Museum
The basement of the Eshkol Tower houses the impressive Reuben & Edith Hecht Museum , which houses a fine collection of archaeological artefacts relating to Jewish history before the Diaspora. There is plenty of ancient pottery, weapons and even a pair of 2100-year-old petite-sized sandals. The museum highlight is a 5th-century-BC Greek ship found near Caesarea in 1984. It has been carefully rebuilt and placed in a specially designed annexe of the museum.
An art wing upstairs contains sections on French Impressionist and Jewish art from the 19th and 20th centuries. Among the works are paintings by Monet, Pissaro and Van Gogh.
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University of Haifa
One of Israel's premier places of higher learning, University of Haifa , 5.5km south of Carmel Centre, covers all areas of academia, but specialises in the liberal arts. There is another spin on 'higher learning' here as the university is perched spectacularly on the summit of Mt Carmel with views of Haifa and far beyond. The best place to take in the panorama is from the observation deck of the 27-storey Eshkol Tower, which was designed by the renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.
Tours of the university can be made, but by advanced booking only; call to make a reservation.
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Dagon Grain Silo & Museum
There is no reason to visit the port area, unless you are catching a ferry to Cyprus or have a keen interest in seeing Israel's entrepôt for grain. The enormous Dagon Grain Silo & Museum is the distinctive fortresslike construction on Ha'atzmaut St that dominates the skyline of lower Haifa. There's a museum within the plant where you can take a free guided tour to learn something about the other oldest profession: the cultivation, handling, storing and distribution of grain.
Tours are at 10:30 Sunday to Friday, and the museum closes for the day once the tour is over.
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Douzan
Douzan means 'to tune an instrument.' Likewise the atmosphere and food in this restaurant is meant to tune your senses. Decorated with old clocks, musical instruments, antique furnishings and velvet cushions, owner Fadi Najar has created a harmonious atmosphere and is proud that both Arabs and Jews dine together under his roof. The food is all home cooked, prepared by Fadi's mother Leila.
It's a fusion of French and Arab recipes, with specials like chicken cordon bleu, and some unexpected treats such as sfeeha (small meat pie topped with feta cheese and pine nuts).
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Zoo
The northern area of the park, Gan Ha'em, is given over to an extremely attractive small Zoo , which sports an aviary, a reptile house, and microhabitats that are home to bears, lions, monkeys and other creatures. There is also a rogue peacock that bolts past unsuspecting visitors (watch out!). Within the grounds of the zoo you can also enter the M Stekelis Museum of Prehistory, the Biological Museum and the Natural History Museum.
Hours for the museums are the same as the zoo and one ticket is good for all the sites.
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Jacko Seafood
Something of a Haifa institution, Jacko has been a consistent purveyor of seafood dishes for the past 30 years. Top marks to the excellent fish dishes, including salmon, bream, bass, shark, triggerfish and St Peter's fish. These can be prepared a half-dozen ways; try the house speciality, the Jacko, cooked in butter, garlic and white wine. Other underwater critters (calamari, crab or shrimp) are also available, plus there are grilled Turkish kebabs.
Note that there is another Jacko at Carmel Centre on 11 Moriah Blvd.
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Luna
Part crusader castle, part modern nightclub, Luna is an exciting and large nightclub where young sybarites can drink at five bars or dance in three separate halls, each with its own genre of music. The main hall is a huge vaulted room with stone walls, strobe lights and hip hop music to blow your ears out. There is also a chill-out patio and a Bedouin tent in summer. Thursday is student night.
Nightclubs charge between 50 and around ₪70 cover charge; don't bother turning up until at least 01:00.
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Arab Market
You'll get a feel for Haifa's grizzled old Christian-Arab quarter, Wadi Nisnas, as your roam around the Arab Market. The sandy block architecture, heavily laden donkey carts and smells of cumin and cardamom firmly place Haifa back in the Middle East. The market displays of public art, hardware shops, narrow alleys and plenty of felafel stands to suppress your hunger. In December and January there is a unique ongoing festival here that celebrates Hanukkah, Christmas and Ramadan.
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Hashmura 1872
The premier dining address in the German Colony, Hashmura 1872 does a range of pasta, chicken, steak and lamb dishes, but the speciality is seafood. Shrimp, carpaccio (thinly sliced raw fish) or squid starters cost around ₪39 to around ₪55, and salmon, bream or mussel mains are around ₪72 to around ₪80.
A glass floor reveals the extensive wine cellar in the historic 1872 basement, where there's also an atmospheric pub.
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Martef 10
Martef 10 'Basement 10' is a nonprofit student club that hosts live music shows most nights of the week from 22:00. During the school year it's closed Tuesday and Saturday. During the summer it's closed Saturday and Monday. Shows are usually jazz, Irish or Israeli music. It's very informal - cushions on the floor make up the seating and dress is casual. The room is windowless and a little claustrophobic, but smoking is thankfully prohibited.
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Mayan Habira
Serving up the 'soul food' of Haifa, this restaurant can place before you parts of animals that you may have never tasted before. The classically Eastern European menu, created by the Romanian family that runs the place, includes jellied calf's foot, gefilte fish, chopped liver and petshai (boiled calf's leg). You can also try kreplach, a meat-stuffed dumpling known affectionately as a 'Jewish wonton.'
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