Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
Between Reichstag and Potsdamer Platz – close to the American embassy in Berlin, Germany – you can find a highly controversial discussed memorial. 2711 steles made of concrete placed on an area of 19.000 m² serve as a monument for the victims of the Holocaust. They have different heights, some are slightly bent, they are protected with graffiti resistant coating and there is an information center underneath.
Haifa hasn’t many sights and the towns landmark belongs to a religion I have never heard before: the Bahá’í. It originates from Iran where the members were prosecuted for turning away from Islam. In Haifa you can’t overlook a temple situated on the foothills of Mount Carmel: the shrine of the Báb – dedicated to the founder of the religion.
Close to Haifa you can find Mount Carmel and the Carmel mountains – a region famous for winemaking. Not far away from the sea you can drive up steep roads into the mountains and catch nice views on Haifa and the area around it. A good starting point is the city of Daliyat el-Carmel, situated in the middle of the mountain range. Be aware that not all roads in the mountains deserve that name.
There are plenty of archeological sites from the Roman and Byzantine eras throughout Israel, but Caesarea stands out. The harbour was fortified by Herod the Great and was an important port for many years. Natural disruptions and political changes led to many times this place has been destroyed and rebuilt. Especially the temple mount has been used for different buildings and religions over time.
The region around Zihron Ya’akov up in the Carmel mountains is famous for wine from Israel. This is because Baron de Rothschild brought this tradition here and is also buried close to the town. It is not like in Chile where you see huge fields of wine or can have a wine tasting – but at the eastern end of the town you will find the Carmel winery where you can buy a bottle of wine produced here.
Akko (formerly St. Jean d’Acre, also called Acre, Akku) is a beautiful old town at the shore of the mediterranean sea. It exists since 3.000 years BCE, was a very important town for the crusades and then fell into the hands of the Arabs. Most European buildings have been destroyed and replaced against islamic buildings.
Close to the town of Rosh HaNikra there is a chalk rock forming the natural border between Israel and Lebanon. It is a barrier a lot of armies – like the one of Alexander the Great – had to cross. During World War II the British built a 250 meters long tunnel into the mountain to connect Beirut and Haifa with railway tracks.
Continue reading “The border to Lebanon”
In 1967 Israel took over control on the Golan heights and later annexed this place. Today, the place is occupied by lots of IDF and UN forces – because the United Nations have created a buffer zone between Syria and the Golan heights. As Israel sees this region as a part of their country, you can easily drive into the Golan heights – without border control and even without noticing.
Yet another archeological site, I was about to say. But Zippori is kind of different: as the citizens didn’t participate in the uprising of the Jews against the Roman occupation in 66 CE the city wasn’t destroyed then. Therefore you can find wonderful mosaics here. The town is often mentioned in the Talmud: “Why is it called Zippori? Because it is perched on top of the mountain like a bird” (Talmud, Megillah, 6a).
Continue reading “Mosaic and Fortress”
When you’re at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee, you’re in the area where it is said that Jesus has lived the most of his life. Two towns very close to each other are named often in the Bible: Tabgha and Capernaum. In Tabgha you will find the Bread and Fish Church, a German church (“Brotvermehrungskirche”) named after Matthew 14, where it is said that 5.000 men where fed with five breads and two fishes.