48 hours in North Israel

Getting off at the train station in Bet Shean you feel a heatwave strike as you watch the large mass of water that’s situated across from the station. Almost feels like you just landed in Eilat. Situated in the valley below sea level most of the year it is sunny and hot. I headed towards the national garden that contains ancient roman ruins. In fact, these ruins contain the best-preserved Roman City in the State of Israel. A few good hours are worth it here for sure.

I then headed to the bus terminal which was also lunch time. Since the bus wasn’t arriving, I went for Zehava’s Falafel in front of the station and was taken by surprise, as this seems like a regular innocent joint, but the falafel was heavenly along with the assortment of just the right clean and fresh salads. No wonder I had to wait in line. 

Happy and on a full stomach I went up north to Tiberius which takes roughly 40 minutes from there by bus. I checked in to a simple Hotel at the center and went to the market to get some necessities. I found it small but varied and ultimately cheap. As you walk in the center you can see the new buildings structured after the 6-day war as any remnant of old Tiberius was destroyed in the earthquakes or flood of 1934.

The city vibe is religious as you can see many orthodox jews trotting around town. Some of them visiting the graves of great Jewish Rabbi’s which are nearby. Also many Christians visit the city and can be seen here on the way to the birthplace of Christ, Nazereth. I personally went down in the middle of the night to the Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes grave and then down to the lake when there wasn’t any people or traffic. A solid moment on your own.

But before that in the evening I went to have dinner on the lake at the famous fish restaurants which have been serving for more then 50 years fresh fish from the lake for the casual tourist. They told me about a few bars which aren’t in the main promenade if I’m looking for offseason action. The views from the lake are some of the most spectacular you can see in Israel with lush green hills behind a giant lake. You can take a half hour boat ride on the lake for a very fair price.

Also in the city are all sorts of water activities for children and adults, like Banana, rafting, and boating. Many hotels are on the lake so you can sit in the lobby and drink coffee in front of the belle views in case you missed or can’t afford a stay in one of those. The temperatures in the city are also Valleyesque as the Sea of Galilee is also below sea level but it’s more comfortable than Bet Shean.

After a very long day and night visiting the Graves of the Righteous, I headed on the 9 am bus to Nazereth. A visit to all three Cathedrals can be done here and is meritful. Also, the hilltop where Jesus is believed to have given his Sermon on the Mount Is in this calm and relaxed city. Its name is Mount Of Beatitudes. Though you’ll be doing lots of uphill climbing this is worth it. Along the way in the center of town and right after the Church of Annunciation is the thriving Nazereth market. Be sure to fill up your energy levels with Hummus and end the meal with Knafe, the local sweet.

After 2 long full days I took the bus back to the Train station in Haifa and had a few hours to spend there. If you also have some time here don’t miss the Bahai Gardens which you can’t miss from the second train station in Haifa. All in all, travelling by trains and buses in Israel was just as good as in any European country I experienced.