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Photo: Hanay, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A trek along Haifa's landscapes and attractions, museums, cultural and religious sites, and the city’s unique urban wildlife.
The Haifa Wadis Trail, is a hiking path that extends the Israel National Trail into Haifa. This trail that was formed and maintained by Yarok Balev NGO forms a complete hiking circuit of approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) through the wadis of Mount Carmel.
The gardens and world centre on Mount Carmel's northern slope area a must-see for any visitor to Haifa. Comprising the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, terraced gardens and administrative buildings, the World Centre is the holiest site of pilgrimage for the members of the Bahá'í faith, as well as the faith's central administrative center. The gardens are stunning and well worth visiting if you are in Haifa. Only parts of the site can be accessed freely without joining the tour – this includes the bottom entrance and the level at the dome. Top, middle, and bottom parts have separate entrances that are far apart, and the middle part has a dress code.
Elijah is considered a prophet in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Carmelites have a tradition that they were founded by Elijah at this time. According to tradition, Elijah lived in a cave on Mt. Carmel during the reign of King Ahab. The site itself may disappoint many tourists as it's a very simple site. One enjoyable and scenic option for good walkers is to walk down to the cave from Stella Maris (monastery) at the top of Mt. Carmel.
A French Carmelite church, monastery and hospice. This is the founding place of the Carmelite Order, a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church. The present monastery and church, built over what the Carmelites believe to be a cave where Elijah lived, dates from 1836 after the previous buildings were destroyed in 1821 by Abdullah, pasha of Akko. It's worth visiting the church to view the beautiful painted ceiling which portrays Elijah and the famous chariot of fire (in which he ascended to heaven), King David with his harp, the saints of the order, the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel and David, and the Holy Family with the four evangelists below. A small adjoining museum contains ruins of former cloisters dating from Byzantine and Crusader times.
In 1868 members of German Templer Society (not to be confused with the Knights Templar) purchased land that was far from the city and set out to build the first planned agricultural community in the Holy Land. Many of the original templar houses have been preserved and have undergone restoration in the last decade of 20th century. Now the main street of the former colony (Ben-Gurion Boulevard) is a promenade, with many restaurants and coffee shops. Some examples of good places in the German Colony are Havana Plus, a hookah bar with a full service bar; Milagro, a restaurant that provides great beer on tap and live music after 8PM; and Isabella, one of the finer restaurants in the area. The City History Museum and the local Tourist Board are also located here.
At the top of Carmel, the campus was designed by Oscar Niemeyer, the architect of Brasilia and UN building in New York City. Newer buildings were added later. The top 30th floor of the Eshkol Tower provides an incredible view of almost the entire North of Israel. The campus is also home to the Hecht Museum with its rich archeology and art collections. Entry to both of these attraction is free.
Haifa's largest Arab neighbourhood with a bustling pedestrian zone and outdoor art. "Holiday of the Holidays" is held there between December and January.