Must-see attractions in Golan Heights

Both casual strollers and experienced hikers – especially those who aren’t averse to getting wet – will find plenty to engage and challenge them in…

The gushing springs, waterfalls and lushly shaded streams of Banias Nature Reserve form one of the most beautiful – and popular – nature spots in the…

Built by Muslims in the 13th century to protect the road from Tyre to Damascus, Nimrod Fortress rises fairy-tale-like on a long, narrow ridge (altitude…

A real gem of a museum. Highlights include extraordinary basalt lintels and Aramaic inscriptions from 32 Byzantine-era Golan synagogues; coins minted…

The site of a thriving Jewish village during the late Second Temple period, Gamla dared to defy the Romans during the Great Jewish Revolt (66–70 CE) and…

From high atop Mt Avital, top-secret Israel Defence Forces' electronics peer deep into Syria, but the Quneitra Viewpoint, on the volcano’s lower flanks,…

What's truly extraordinary about this 6th-century synagogue is that after it was destroyed in the great earthquake of 749 CE, the site, because of its…

In 2001, after studying wine-making in Australia, Tal Pelter founded a winery that now turns shiraz and chenin blanc grapes (among others) into 300,000…

To get a sense of life during the Talmudic period (3rd to 6th centuries) when the Golan had dozens of Jewish villages, drop by this partly reconstructed…

The orchards here grow four kinds of cherries, three kinds of plums and five kinds of mulberries as well as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and…

A true boutique operation, Bahat – housed in a one-time plastic-sandal factory – produces just 20,000 bottles of wine a year, including port (first sold…

Winner of many international awards, this highly regarded winery (total annual production: 5.5 million bottles) offers guided cellar tours (advance…

Keep an eye out for this family-run boutique winery's light, summery rosé (made with cabernet sauvignon and syrah), their cabernet franc red and…

Quarrying into the base of Mt Avital, an extinct volcano, to extract gravel created an ugly scar on the landscape. It also exposed layers of volcanic…

Kids will love this gravelly tree-shaded hillside, home to three species of deer (from Northern Europe, the Himalayas and Japan), ibexes, 85cm-high mini…

An artisanal chocolate maker that offers tours (25 minutes) and chocolate-making workshops. Reservations are a must. If the chocolate doesn't tempt you,…

An excellent introduction to the Golan, this centre takes you on a half-hour virtual journey around the region, projected on a 180-degree panoramic screen…