Nazareth
Dominating the Old City’s skyline is the lantern-topped cupola of this Franciscan-run Roman Catholic basilica, an audacious modernist structure that’s…
Must-see attractions in Lower Galilee
Lower Galilee
Beit She’an’s extraordinary Roman ruins are the best place in Israel to get a sense of what it was like to live, work and shop in the Roman Empire…
Sea of Galilee
Since at least the 4th century, this landscaped hillside is believed to be where Jesus delivered his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), whose opening…
Sea of Galilee
In 1986, when the level of the Sea of Galilee was particularly low, a local fisherman made an extraordinary discovery: the remains of a wooden boat later…
Lower Galilee
In ancient times, Tzipori was a prosperous and well-endowed city with stone-paved roadways (you can still see the ruts left by Roman wagons), a…
Centre International Marie de Nazareth
Nazareth
Almost across the street from the Basilica of the Annunciation, this stunning complex is run by Chemin Neuf, a Roman Catholic community based in France,…
Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
Nazareth
According to Greek Orthodox tradition, the Annunciation took place while Mary was fetching water from the spring situated directly under this richly…
Lower Galilee
No one was more surprised than the members of Kibbutz Heftzibah when they went out to dig an irrigation channel in 1928 and uncovered a stunning,…
Nazareth
When Elias Shama and his Belgian-born wife Martina set about renovating their shop in 1993, they uncovered a network of 2000-year-old clay pipes almost…
Lower Galilee
Kids will love this delightful little corner of Australia, where – amid Aussie vegetation – they can pet and feed friendly, free-range kangaroos. Another…
Sea of Galilee
The New Testament says that the prosperous lakeside village of Capernaum (estimated population 1500), on the imperial highway from Tiberias to Damascus,…
Lower Galilee
Set on a hilltop 550m above the Jordan River, this Crusader fortress, measuring an impressive 110m by 110m, consists of concentric ramparts, gates,…
Sea of Galilee
Towering over the Sea of Galilee and offering breathtaking views of the Golan Heights and Mt Hermon, Arbel Cliff is 181m above sea level, which makes it…
Sea of Galilee
On a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee, Korazim is a good place to get an idea of the layout of a prosperous, midsized Galilean town in the time of…
Sea of Galilee
When the Legionnaires of Christ, a Catholic congregation based in Mexico, began building a spiritual retreat in 2009, they were astonished to discover a…
Church of the Primacy of St Peter
Sea of Galilee
A shady, fragrant garden leads down to the lakeshore and to this Franciscan chapel (built 1933), lit by the vivid colours of abstract stained glass. The…
Lower Galilee
An avenue of cypresses leads through this Catholic compound to a monastery, home to three Franciscan friars (helped by lay volunteers from Italy), a small…
Monastery of the Twelve Apostles
Sea of Galilee
Peacocks strut around the serene, deeply shaded lakefront garden of this Greek Orthodox site, 200m as the crow flies (1.6km on foot or by car) northeast…
Cana Greek Orthodox Wedding Church & Monastery
Lower Galilee
This richly decorated, late-19th-century church – topped by a round tower and a brown dome – shelters two ancient jars believed to have been used…
Sea of Galilee
Shaded and serene, this luxuriantly leafy lakeside cemetery, established in 1911, is the final resting place of socialist Zionist pioneers such as Berl…
Sea of Galilee
Opened in 1993, this lakeside cultural centre – one of Israel’s most beautiful buildings – is known for its art exhibitions, first-run cinema (two screens…
Lower Galilee
Almost as remarkable for its modernist building (inaugurated in 1948, with additions from the 1950s) as its outstanding art collection (mainly by Israeli…
Lower Galilee
UK-born Frances and her Moroccan-born husband David have turned a wine-making hobby into a micro-winery that produces just 2100 bottles a year. You can…
Tomb of Rabbi Meir Ba’al HaNess
Tiberias
A complex of religious buildings has grown around the reputed burial place of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess, a 2nd-century sage often cited in the Mishnah (ba…
Sea of Galilee
This hugely popular, eucalyptus-shaded baptism site, run by Kibbutz Kinneret, is on the Jordan River 100m south of where it flows out of the Sea of…
Sea of Galilee
Mentioned in the Talmud as a place of idol worship, this Gentile fishing village – discovered by chance in the early 1970s – is where Jesus is believed to…
Basilica of Jesus the Adolescent
Nazareth
Built between 1906 and 1923, this neo-Gothic church, with commanding views of Nazareth, has a clean, almost luminescent limestone interior whose delicate…
Nazareth
If you've ever been curious about day-to-day life in Nazareth in the time of Jesus, consider stopping by this recreation of a 1st-century Galilean…
Tiberias
Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon (1135–1204) – better known by his acronym, the Rambam – was a Cordova-born polymath famous for his rationalist approach to religion…
Sea of Galilee
Located in the northeastern corner of the Sea of Galilee, the spring-fed streams and jungle-like wetlands of this reserve are ideal for a refreshing …
Tiberias
This rare Crusader church – administered by Koinonia Giovanni Battista, a Catholic community based in Italy – has a peaceful, grapevine-shaded courtyard…
Tiberias
Back in Roman times, the fame of Tiberias’ hot springs was such that in 110 CE the Emperor Trajan struck a coin dedicated to them – it depicted Hygeia …
Nazareth
Built in the late 1700s by Sheikh Abdullah Al Fahum – his tomb can be seen through a glass door off the sanctuary – this mosque is known for its long…
Tiberias
Rabbi Akiva, a leading Mishnaic sage (and teacher of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess), played a major role in establishing rabbinic (ie post–Second Temple)…
Nazareth
Hidden away in an alleyway off the souq, this humble Crusader-era structure, now a Catholic church, stands on the site of the synagogue where it is…
Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves & Fishes
Sea of Galilee
This austere German Benedictine church was constructed in 1982 on the foundations of a 5th-century Byzantine church. The rock under the altar is believed…
Church & Monastery of the Apostles
Tiberias
From the serene, flowery courtyard, steps lead down to a Greek Orthodox church, its air of mystery enhanced by gilded icons, brass lamps and elaborately…
Lower Galilee
This green-domed Franciscan church, built in the late 1800s, stands on the site where Catholics believe Jesus performed the wedding miracle. An ancient…
Sea of Galilee
Near the summit of the Mount of the Beatitudes, this exquisite modern complex serves as a venue in which Christians – especially Catholic seminarians –…
Lower Galilee
Housed in a complex of century-old basalt houses, this museum offers a fascinating peek at the local Circassian community and their daily life during…
