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Haifa
The biggest metropolitan area in Israel's northern region, the city of Haifa is located on the slopes of Mount Carmel directly above the country's Mediterranean coastline. Haifa's unique combination of sea and mountain has made the city one of Israel's most important strategic towns; central both to the country's safety and its trade. To this day, the Bay of Haifa (Israel's one and only natural harbor) serves as one of the country's foremost industrial centers, having linked Israel to global economy as early as the 1940s. However, many changes have taken place over the centuries and in recent years Haifa has become as known for its bustling industrial center as for its leading tech and computing industries, with some of the world's biggest corporations opening up outposts here.
And Like Haifa's diverse economy, the city is also home to a diverse population of Jews, Arabs, Druze and members of the Bahai faith. Thanks to Haifa's uniquely stratified topography, Jews and Arabs are able to coninhabit the city in harmony. When on a Jewish Heritage tour, it is well worth the time to visit one of Haifa's many mixed neighborhoods (such as Hadar on the northern lower part of the Carmel , close to downtown Haifa) where Jews and Arabs live side by side, their religions, cultures and customs coexisting in a delicate balance.
Druze citizens of the city are often found in villages adjacent to Haifa. Towns such as Daliyat el-Carmel and Isfiya are a major tourist destinations, attracting hundreds of visitors annually, both from Israel and abroad. The large marketplace in the center of Daliyat el-Carmel boasts traditional Druze and Arab trinkets and a wide range of ethnic restaurants with some of the best Arab food found in Israel, making it a focal point of any trip to Haifa and one not to be missed when on a tour to Israel. Also in Daliyat el-Carmel visitors will find a memorial center for fallen Druze soldiers who've lost their lives protecting the state of Israel, as well the shrine of Abu Ibrahim—the faith's spiritual leader.
Haifa - Museums
No place will be more enjoyable yet productive, fun but also thought-provoking for your children than the Haifa Museum of Science, Technology and Space. An excellent venue when on a family tour to Israel, the museum offers hands-on experimentation with over four hundred different scientific phenomenon. Here children will learn how sound waves are created, what is white noise, how our eyes perceive color, what are the electric powers that make magnets work, and much much more.
The museum is open seven days a week, and offers guided tours, group tours, and specialty seminars. The museum is located in one of the Technion's historic buildings, making a walk around the premises a worthwhile addition.
And while on the grounds of the Technion, be sure to take a stroll through the different faculties of this world-class institution of higher education.
Haifa - From the German Colony to Wadi Nisnas
Currently one of the wealthiest and most beautiful residential neighborhoods in Israel, the German Colony's history dates back to 1868. Built by German Templar families who arrived in Haifa in the mid 19 th century, the German Colony was the first neighborhood in Israel to be built according to a pre-established model (rather than organically grown). Based on the Templar's meticulous plan to create an urban center on the Carmel, the German Colony was built around a main street, still operating today ( Ben-Gurion Blvd. ). Where the colony's vineyards once stood, now stands the Bahai World Center - an extraordinarily beautiful site which serves as the headquarters of the Bahai faith.
What has always been the German Colony's main draw remains its claim to fame to this day. Perched on the slopes of the Carmel Mountain , the German Colony boasts breathtaking scenery of the Bahai Gardens all the way down to the golden coastline and the Haifa Bay.
And still to do with picturesque neighborhoods, Wadi Nisnas is yet another one not to be missed on your Israel tour. A predominantly Arab neighborhood, Wadi Nisnas is an amalgam of architectural styles, churches, mosques, Templar buildings and Turkish structures. With its winding roads and colorful street life, Wadi Nisnas is always a feast for the eyes and ears.
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