Many visitors to the Land of Israel come for reasons other than just to tour. Businessman, scientists, academics…the list is indeed a long one, find themselves very busy one day and, rather than face a hotel room alone in a foreign country, elect to get out and see some sites.

These blogs are for them.

I recommended a day in the Old City of Jerusalem and a day in the Judean Desert visiting Masada National Park and the Dead Sea.

What about the North?

I would like to suggest three sites: Caesarea, Haifa and Akko (Acre).

Caesarea National Park is first and foremost, a truly beautiful spot. The Mediterranean Sea rolls up against a Roman city in majesty. Built by King Herod the great in the first century B.C.E., it was the world’s first artificial port. Later fortified by the Crusaders, it hosted such personalities as St. Paul, Rabbi Akkiba, Saladin, Louis the IX of France, and Edmond de Rothschild among others (whom you can also meet at the site), the National Parks Authority have gone to considerable lengths to make your stay a pleasant and educational one. Don’t miss the films shown at both north and south entrances.

Next stop on our trip north is the city of Haifa: specifically, the Baha’i Gardens there.

One of the world’s newest religions, Haifa was close the where the prophet of the new religion, the Baha’u’llah was imprisoned. His followers purchased part of the Carmel mountain and a century later would build a tomb to the Bab, Siyyid `Alí Mu?ammad Shírází, one of the three central figures of the new faith who was martyred in Iran in 1850. His golden-domed tomb adorns the side of the mountain in Haifa with its eighteen terraces.

Be sure to enter the central garden to visit the tomb and then drive to the top for a magnificent view of Haifa Bay.

The third stop, Akko, deserves its own blog.
Till then.