The city of Tiberias (in Israel) is located on the southwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, which is amazing in its beauty. It is the fourth in the list of most visited tourist centers.
A bit of history
Tiberias is one of the ancient cities in Galilee and is one of the four places sacred for Jews along with Jerusalem, Safed and Hebron. It was founded two thousand years ago by King Herod. According to the historical information of Tiberias, the ancient name of the city was erected in 17 BC. e. in the very place of Galilee.
One of the main events in the history of Tiberias is the destruction of the Second Temple and the subsequent expulsion of the Jewish people from Jerusalem. It was at that time that the spiritual center of the country was formed here. A meeting of the Sanhedrin took place in Tiberias, the famous Jerusalem Talmud was completed, many outstanding religious figures of the country and the whole world lived here.
But prosperity did not last long. In the 12th century, the city underwent almost complete destruction. It was rebuilt only after four centuries. Today, two important areas of the city are medicine and tourism.
Climate
The weather in Tiberias can be described as extremely mild. It is never cold here, the temperature rarely drops to -10 degrees. Most often, it is kept at a level from 0 to +8. In summer, the air warms up to +36 degrees.
Tiberias for tourists
Today Tiberias is synonymous with relaxation. Ancient history blends harmoniously with modernity. Here, tourists are invited to engage in active sports, improve their health, tune in a romantic mood with their soul mate, and also visit sacred places along unique tourist routes.
Tiberias Attractions
This city has a lot of interesting places, and there is a wide variety of recreation. But there are mandatory points of any excursion program, where you can visit on your own.
Here is a basic list of what to see in Tiberias (Israel):
- Monastery on the Mount of Sermon on the Mount. The height of this hill is a little over 100 meters. At the beginning of the 20th century, monks excavated here, as a result of which parts of the ancient cathedral were discovered. A modern architectural monument was erected only in the 30s of the last century. One of the most beautiful places in the monastery is a small hall, the walls of which are painted with icons, and in the center there is a beautiful throne. The upper part of the cathedral is decorated with colored stained-glass windows on which the commandments are written in Latin letters.
- The town of Capernaum. Located near Tiberias. According to historical information, Capernaum is a native city for many holy apostles. Today it is the national protected area of Israel, where about 500 people live permanently. Tourists here can see the historical monument itself and several monasteries.
- Saint Paul's Cathedral. It is located in the center of Tiberias. The main feature of this place is that the prayer hall and the church altar are made in the form of a boat designed for fishing. The stained glass windows decorating the interior of the cathedral also feature Paul's fishing scenes.
- The hot springs. They are located near Tiberias. Tourists are invited here not only to swim and improve their health, but also enjoy stunning views of the highlands of Golania. In the park opposite the health complex you can take a walk and explore the ruins of ancient bath complexes.
- Mount Barniki. Here is the national conservation area "Switzerland", which is especially popular with tourists. The nature of this park is significantly different from the local area. Wooded thickets, numerous shrubs, forests and lakes - all this, rather, resembles a recreation area in any European town. In addition to natural ones, wonderful views of other sights of Tiberias (Israel) open from here: various monasteries and churches, seascapes, the city itself.
- Hamat Tiberias National Park. Located in the southern part of the city. Here you can walk and admire the remains of the oldest synagogue, which was built somewhere in the 3rd century BC. e. It was destroyed, rebuilt and destroyed again by an earthquake. In addition to architectural monuments, the park still has about 20 hot springs.
- Scottish hotel-museum. Hotels in Tiberias (Israel) a large number. But only one is an architectural landmark. This is a whole hotel complex, which also houses a restaurant and a swimming pool. The building is more than a hundred years old. Everything is done in the style of past years, and the premises convey the original appearance of the ancient structure.
- Jewish courtyard. Only passing through the gate, you can appreciate the beauty and significance of this place. Each building and structure inside has its own unique story that can tell about the life of Jews in the Jordan Valley.
- Falling tower. It is located in the fortress wall near the sea coast. The peculiarity of its structure is a sign of neglect of the building, therefore, the tower does not represent special value for the inhabitants of Tiberias. Near the monument is a temple, inside which there is a small interesting exhibition.
Active entertainment
Tiberias is not only a historical center with many attractions.
There is also a lot of entertainment that is suitable for those who do not like to sit still:
- motorboat and water skiing;
- diverse water activities;
- beaches that can be visited all year round;
- cycling along the shores of the lake;
- kayaking on the Jordan River ;
- horseback riding and sightseeing.
Other leisure activities
The convenient location of the city allows you to travel with excursions to the neighboring Galilee and the Golan. Here you can personally touch the architectural monuments that are important in the history of the country and learn a lot of interesting things.
Thirsty for romance are invited to go on an exciting voyage along the Galilee. A special attraction to the sea voyage is that it is accomplished in the moonlight. Also, a health complex with hot springs, the temperature of which is 50-60 degrees, is quite popular among tourists. They contain a solution of bitter salt and hydrogen sulfide gas, which has healing properties.
Walking through the many streets, you can find local shops selling a wide variety of items and souvenirs. Tired of shopping, you should stop by the nearby restaurants, which serve excellent dishes and desserts.
Reviews about Tiberias (Israel)
Every year, tens of thousands of tourists visit Tiberias to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, the view of national shrines, and also have fun.
From the reviews of vacationers, you can make a few recommendations that will be useful to future travelers:
- Those wishing to fully enjoy the local historical sights are recommended to hire a guide. This will open the opportunity not only to get satisfaction from what he saw, but also to draw a lot of interesting information.
- Be sure to try the local cuisine based on fresh seafood in the restaurants.
- Hot springs are one of the main points, they should be visited regardless of the purpose of the visit to Tiberias.
- To explore all the interesting places, it is worth renting a car, as well as cycling or horse riding.
- One of the most colorful places in Tiberias is the fish market. It works daily, and here you can buy fish and other seafood caught early in the morning.
- For parking near hotels after eight in the evening you do not need to pay. This helps to save money on traveling by car.
- The largest concentration of restaurants and shops is on the main boulevard leading to the center of Tiberias from the Old Town.
Where to stay in Tiberias?
Hotels in Tiberias (Israel) are the most diverse. There are both five-star hotels with “Suites” and budget apartments in guest houses of a youth type.
The second most popular after the Scottish Hotel Museum is Casa Don Graz. Here, in addition to the beautiful apartments made in the interior of past centuries, there is a museum dedicated to this lady. This woman is considered a saint among the Jews, as she saved more than one hundred from the persecution of the Spanish Inquisition.
Gilboa Apartments in Tiberias (Israel) are also quite popular with tourists. They are located 1 km from the Sea of Galilee and within walking distance to local city attractions. At the same time, housing prices here are average.
Many hotels offer their guests treatment in hot mineral springs and various spa treatments.
How to get to the city
Tiberias has a fairly convenient location, and you can get to it from almost all the main cities of Israel:
- from Jerusalem the distance is 115 km;
- from Tel Aviv - 103 km;
- from Haifa - only 47 km.
You can get to the city and back by transfer from the hotel, by taxi or by shuttle bus. From Tel Aviv to Tiberias will have to go about two to three hours. So much to get to Jerusalem. It takes about an hour to go to Haifa. Buses arrive and depart from the central bus station. From there, free transport runs around Lake Kinneret.