Haifa tourism reminds most people of one area: the Baha’i Garden above the German Colony. It’s undeniable that this is a beautiful site and that the Baha’is are very aesthetic and nice people (until someone steps on their flowers …) – but let me try to show you a few more adorable spots in my beloved, green city where I grew up. This time, I did it in a thorough urban trek that went through most of the must-see attractions in the city plus surprises, which I will detail in a post.
What is an urban trek?
I have already told you several times about the treks I did with “new age trekking”, company belongs to great guys. They offer treks in nature such as climbing to mount Hermon in the snow or the hike in the desert that for 33 KM in two days. Because june is hot summer and trek in nature is to hot – they made a municipal twist: to go on a climbing trek, but within the borders of Haifa.
The chosen route started in Wadi Nisnas, went up the stairs to the center of Carmel and from there we walked down the wadi “Sheikh” to the cemetery. After a short ride we arrived at Stella Maris and from there we went down the stairs to “Bat Galim” (a neighborhood near the sea). After swim in the sea We had dinner at a place called “Bar Galim”. The trek ended after 1100 steps, 13 km and lots of sweat.
The thousand steps of Haifa
The first part of the trek included climbing stairs, and lots of stairs. In fact, to this day, I have only known the opposite option, starting at the Carmel Center and going down the Gedera steps to the Koresh steps as you pass through the Hasmonean Streets, Golomb, Hillel, Masada, Zionist Boulevard, Shifra Stairs and Heffen Street, which meets the German colony meets. Just what – if you do it from the bottom up, the landscape that unfolds is worth the effort several times.
Wadi Nisnas: Worth not just visiting in December
The name of the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood in Arabic is Wadi Mongoose because in the past there were a lot of these animals.
The neighborhood is known to visitors mainly during Chanukah and Christmas (and sometimes Ramadan), then celebrates the “holiday of holidays” festival of the festival which includes many art exhibits and food stalls. In my opinion, it is a pity to come with the masses of visitors only one month a year, because the neighborhood is always active and you can find especially culinary institutions here, such as Falafel George, the famous Emile Shawarma and of course the Cnafe of the East Allenby condominium.
This is where the tour opens and with the aim of charging the body with energy for the climb, we tasted falafel and drank hot black coffee in Falafel George.
Masada and Hillel Street: Welcome to the Haifa hipster stronghold
From Wadi Nisans we started climbing through the German Colony, Geffen Street and Shifra Stairs until we reached Zionist Avenue. We crossed the road towards Masada Street, where the climb continues on the Coresh stairs.
Here we stopped at the most Tel Aviv corner of Haifa, Masada Street . this place have the same vibes like florentine neighborhood in Tel Aviv: You will find some cute cafes, graffiti on the walls and antique stores and also discover rich community life. I drank cold coffee and took a breath after climbing the stairs.
The Bahá'í Gardens, the German Colony and the Louis Promenade
From Masada Street, we continued on the Koresh Stairs and passed through Golomb Street (the Carmel subway station) and Hashmonaim Street, where the staircase changed to the Gedera stairs – the last part of the climb today.
At the end of the stairs you reach the Louis Promenade , a short promenade with spectacular views to Haifa bay. Louis Promenade meets the Bahá’í Gardens. Entrance to Bahá’í Gardens is free.
The Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa are open every day, including Saturday from 9am to 5pm, but please note that the inner gardens close at 12:00. You can enter them from the Louis Promenade and go down to the German Colony or start at the German Colony entrance and climb up
Please be sure to wear proper clothing (no jerseys or pants over the knee for either sex). During the Bahá’í holidays and Yom Kippur the gardens are closed.
19 is a sacred number for religion, and so there are 19 gardens on the formed terraces. Also, everyone is heading towards Acre, where the site is the most sacred site of religion but the least known to visitors.
Wadi Sheikh: Total Nature in the Heart of the City
The most fascinating thing for me in Haifa is the ability to find real nature spots and paths that come out of the neighborhoods and in the moment you are introduced to the quiet of a car-free forest and buildings. There are a number of such trails (“wadis”) in Haifa, but in my opinion, the most beautiful is Wadi Sheikh, which is just off the beginning of Lotus Street near Mina Square (see a big sign at this point). This is a short route to other routes in Carmel and the time it will take you to get down from the center of Carmel to the cemetery below should be at most an hour, follow the black mark. Stop for a rest in “Ein Sheikh”: a fountain with a cool pool next to a obstructed cave, an ancient Carmelite monastery and a fruit-rich strawberry tree.
At the end of the route you will see a built (but not maintained) complex with a real pool where you can swim even in the summer months if there is a flow. As of the end of May 2019 the pool is full and very fun for dropping and swimming.
If you want to get directly to the pool, park at the brosh gate in Haifa Cemetery and enter the Sheikh routh, the pool will appear 5 minutes walk from the vehicle.
Stella Maris - An observation in the Carmelites complex
Stella Maris is one of the most beautiful spots in Haifa, and the place where the mountain is closest to the sea – less than 200 meters between the beach and the beginning of the Carmel. Here you can see the city and the sea spread out to the horizon, Haifa’s cable car and a whole complex of religious buildings belonging to the Carmelites Order.
The complex monastery and church founded probably in the 12th century that belong to the Carmelites:
Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. You can enter the beautiful church free of charge and make a tour around the building, where you will see the pyramid-shaped monument built by Napoleon soldiers in memory of the fighters who fell in battle here in against of the Turks.
Opposite the complex is the Pasha Summer Palace – formerly a magnificent summer home and now a sadly closed military base. Under the palace, our trail starts at Bat Galim and passes through a Carmelites chapel. The descent is slight and lasts for about fifteen minutes, ending in Elijah Cave, This cave is surprisingly a Jewish holy place.
Bat Galim: A delicious end to a long day
We completed the trek on the beach on the Bat Galim Promenade, with a refreshing swim at sea. From there, we dined at Bar Galim, a nonprofit cooperative run by neighborhood residents, making it a cheap bar at such low prices I haven’t seen in a decade in Israel.
The tour included a bus from Tel Aviv, training and a meal at the Galim Bar You can contact Uri and Idan – new age trekking on the Facebook page or at Wastap +972528766420.
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Thank you for the useful info! I wouldnt have discovered this by myself!
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