Ari’s Mikveh

Upper Galilee & Golan


A boldface Hebrew sign on the gate reads ‘entry for men only’. The reason: not fear of women but rather the fact that inside naked men are taking ritually purifying dips in the cool, somewhat turgid waters of a natural spring. According to some traditions, the spring was once used by the Ari (the great 16th-century Kabbalist); these days the site is especially popular with Breslov (Bratzlav) Hasidim.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Upper Galilee & Golan attractions

1. Sephardic Ari Synagogue

0.06 MILES

Tsfat’s oldest synagogue – it's mentioned in documents from as far back as 1522 – was frequented by the Ari, the great 16th-century Kabbalist, who…

2. Yehezkel HaMeiri Viewpoint

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Situated at the very bottom of Ma'alot Olei HaGardom, this platform affords views of the Kabbalists' tombs and Mt Meron.

3. HaMeiri Museum

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Housed in a 150-year-old building that once served as the seat of Tsfat’s rabbinical court, this museum illustrates Jewish life in Tsfat during the 19th…

4. HaMeiri Dairy

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5. Kadosh Dairy

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Run by the Kadosh family for seven generations, this microdairy produces minuscule quantities of deliciously sharp, salty gvina Tzfatit (Tsfat-style…

6. Tombs of the Kabbalists

0.09 MILES

The graves of many of Tsfat’s greatest sages and Kabbalists are about one-third of the way down the slope of the Ancient Jewish Cemetery, just below a…

7. Safed Craft Pottery

0.1 MILES

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8. Abuhav Synagogue

0.11 MILES

Named after the 15th-century Spanish scholar Rabbi Yitzhak Abuhav, this synagogue was founded in the 16th century but moved to its present location after…