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An interactive adventure taking place in an old military bunker on the Syrian border, sponsored by the IDF. Best done at night. A variety of unique IDF-oriented programs are offered.
Hebrew:גמלא
A picturesque nature reserve and archaeological site of a Jewish stronghold from 87 BCE. Gamla means a "camel" in Hebrew, the name of the hill top location clearly taking its name from a resemblance to a camel's hump.
Gamla was the capital of the Golan Heights in the 1st century. In 66 CE, along with other Jewish cities in the region, it launched a rebellion against Roman rule. After a siege the city was conquered, and its inhabitants were either killed or threw themselves from the cliff at the edge of the city. Nowadays the city has been partly excavated, and fortifications as well as a synagogue can be seen.
There are several trails at the site, some of which will be challenging for people who are out of shape or hike rarely. The Gamla waterfall trail is accessible until 14:00/15:00 (winter/summer). The Gamla ancient town trail is accessible until 13:00/14:00 (winter/summer). Also, the steep and tall cliffs at Gamla form the perfect habitat for griffin vultures.
This picturesque valley and trail leads into the Gamla Nature Reserve and requires the payment of the same fee. However, walking from the highway to the Gamla site, there are no fee collection points and you are supposed to pay at Gamla, which you can circumvent by just walking back before reaching Gamla. This can be a good alternative to Gamla, in case you want to save the steep entrance fee.
There is no volcanic activity, but a nice park explaining different volcanic facts. The site includes art in the volcanic gravel.
Nimrod Castle, Kalaat Namrud
An ancient fortress in the northern Golan Heights, built in the 13th century by Muslim rulers to defend against a possible Crusader attack. It is located on a steep mountain ridge, with deep forested ravines on either side, and has a stupendous view of its surroundings. A trail leads from the fortress's west edge downhill several kilometres to Banias, another important historical and nature site in the area. Hike: ~2 hr.
A mountain in the eastern Golan Heights with an Israeli stronghold (formerly a Syrian stronghold) on top and views of Syria to the east and the Golan Heights to the west. On some days, you might hear or even see a bomb going off in the distance, part of the Syrian Civil War. From this distance, it sounds like thunder. You can explore the Syrian army bunkers here from before 1967.