Israel Highlights
Jerusalem
To Jews, Jerusalem is their national and spiritual epicentre; to Christians, it is the city where Jesus spent his last days on earth; to Muslims, it is the third holiest city after Mecca and Medina. The city's market-places, shrines, ruins, hotels, temples, churches and mosques are all readily accessible, and the city's tourist board is more than willing to provide directions. The Western (or Wailing) Wall, the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre are three of Jerusalem's most famous historic sites.
Nazareth
A strange blend of the timeless and the topical, the sacred town of Nazareth, where Jesus Christ spent much of his life, is today a bustling city of 60,000 Muslim and Christian Arabs. Of almost two dozen churches commemorating Nazareth's most esteemed resident, the grandest of all is the monumental Basilica of the Annunciation. The largest church in the Middle East, it was completed only in 1969, but it encompasses the remains of previous Byzantine churches.
Akko
Probably the most atmospheric place in Israel, the old sea wall of Akko (Acre) overlooks the expanse of the Mediterranean, on the northern tip of Haifa Bay, while Gothic archways and minarets mingle within the city. The ancient stone piers still give port to fishermen; the markets and cafés still overflow with friendly service and mysterious faces.
Caesarea
Although its greatest historical importance was as a Roman colony, it is to the Crusader ruins at Caesarea that tourists flock by the busload today, and they are as impressive as any in Israel. It takes a good half day just to take in the site, while the visual impact of Crusader arches, crumbling walls and smashed Roman pillars is still disarming, and attests to the layered history of habitation here.
Tel Aviv and Yafo
Tel Aviv is Israel's centre of culture, business, haute couture and nightlife. Its white beaches, sunny weather and smart hotels make it a year-round tourist resort. With celebrated cafés and sleek new office towers, the world's first modern Jewish city is as contemporary as it is boisterous. Now part of Tel Aviv, Yafo (Jaffa) is one of the world's oldest cities and has retained its biblical flavour, spiced by centuries of historical events and myths.
Bethlehem
Christ's birthplace is commemorated by the Church of the Nativity, entered by stooping through a tiny entrance. The original basilica was built in AD 325 by Emperor Constantine the Great. Downstairs is the Grotto of the Nativity, where the altar features a barely discernible 12th-century mosaic. But the eye is riveted to a gleaming star on the floor of this small space, inscribed in Latin "Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary".
The Dead Sea
The most saline body of water on the face of the earth contains no life of any sort, but is a source of both life and health: the potash contained in its bitter waters is an invaluable fertilizer, exported all over the world, while the lake and the springs that feed it are said to have cured everything from arthritis to psoriasis. Sun-worshippers and health fanatics fill its spas and hotels, seeking remedies and relaxation. Tourists and Israelis come here to breathe in the abundant oxygen, float on the water's salty surface, and marvel at the rugged panoramas.
Kumran
In 1947, a shepherd in Kumran stumbled across the most exciting archaeological discovery of the century: the Dead Sea Scrolls, preserved in earthenware jars. Dating from the first centuries before and after Christ, they have revolutionised scholarship of the period and thrown new light on the origins of Christianity. The partly reconstructed buildings of Kumran are on a plateau some 100 metres above the shore of the Dead Sea and are well worth a visit.
Masada
Towering almost 300 metres above the Dead Sea shore, is the rock of Masada, the most spectacular archaeological site in Israel. Visitors to the site can wander through Herod's magnificent three-tiered palace; the Roman bath house, with its ingenious heating system; the vast storehouses; the western palace with its fine mosaics, and the huge water cisterns hewn in the rock. These features alone make the fortress worth a visit, but it is the story of the epic siege that ended in mass suicide that has made Masada a place of pilgrimage second only to the Western Wall.
Eilat
Remote from the rest of Israel, Eilat is searing hot and parched dry and is one of Israel's most popular tourist resorts. Holiday-makers migrate to its sunburnt shores and soothing seas. Set at the northern tip of the Red Sea, it is a mecca for snorkellers, scuba-divers, windsurfers, water-skiers, swimmers, sailors, sandcastle builders, sun-worshippers, tropical-fish fanatics and birdwatchers.