The Golan Heights

The imposing natural bastion of the Golan Heights dominates the surrounding plains and is one of Israel’s most beautiful areas. In stunning Banias National Park, you can trek through the forest to a gushing waterfall and explore Classical and Crusader ruins. On the heights above is the excellent Arab fortress of Nimrod – one of the finest castles in the Middle East – about which Mark Twain wrote: “This must be the most glorious ruins mound of its kind in the world.”

Nature lovers will enjoy exploring the hiking trails on Mount Hermon or visiting the Odem Forest with its cherry orchards and volcanic craters. The sparkling blue volcanic crater of Lake Ram is another beauty spot. For a sensational culinary experience while in the Golan, one shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to have lunch with a local family in the Druze village at Majdal e-Shams. Nearby, the dormant volcano of Mount Bental offers glorious views over the surrounding countryside and is close to several important battlefields from the 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli wars. Katzerin in the central Golan Heights offers wine-tasting opportunities and the chance to visit the remains of a Jewish village dating from the Talmudic period.

The curious megalithic concentric stone circles at Rujm el-Hiri and a Roman-era synagogue at Umm al-Kanatir are south of here. In the lower Golan, the site of Gamla is known as the “Masada of the North” and is the location of a Jewish village devastated by Vespasian during the Jewish revolt of 66-73 AD. Gamla is also famous for its griffon vultures, which may be seen wheeling above the site.