Land of three religions, the biblical “Promised Land”, home to many peoples and civilizations, today the territory of Israel attracts millions of tourists with its historical monuments and the mixing of cultures. This also contributed to the unique natural conditions of the Dead Sea, dozens of sea resorts of the Mediterranean and Red Seas, and colorful landscapes of the Negev desert or the inclement Judean Mountains.

In fact Tel Aviv (”Hill of Spring”) is the capital of the country and the first city of the modern state of Israel, was founded in 1909 as a suburb of Jaffa. After 5 years 2 thousand people lived here, in the 30 years it became the capital of the Jewish Yishuv in Eretz-Israel, and in our days more than 1 million people live in this cosmopolitan city. Here are the central offices of major banks and companies in the country, as well as representative offices of foreign states and companies. Because of its comparative youth of the town is not rich in historical sights.

Noteworthy Independence Palace, where in 1948 the state of Israel was proclaimed, a shopping, entertainment and cultural complex “Migdal-Opera (”Opera-Tower”) on the quay, skyscraper, “Azriel-center”, “Cinematheque”, National Theater of Israel “Gabima” (1957), famous for its original architecture of Tel Aviv Center (museum) Performing Arts (1971) on the Boulevard Shaul Ha-Melech, the picturesque neighborhoods of Neve Tzedek and Dizengoff, Tel Aviv Museum of Art and the Library “Shaar Zion”. Museum of Beit Ha-Tfutsot (Diaspora, 1978) in Tel-Aviv University, the Museum of Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel, 1953) with an extensive collection of objects of different cultures history and library, art gallery of Bruno Gelleri, as well as home-museums of poet Chaim Nachman Bialik and David Ben-Gurion are interesting too.

But any way this is not a historical city, for this you need to go to Jaffa, and the center of intense business activity and boisterous nightlife, it is the center of the Israeli industry, trade, finance, culture, sport and entertainment. And in present-day prospectus, and in the old southern buildings, and along the scenic Tel Aviv seafront there are thousands of cafes, restaurants, pubs, shops, markets and supermarkets. Here life does not stop for a minute. Youth bar “Buzz Stop”, nightclubs “Doxa” and “Stephen Brown,” Russian Club “Pancakes”, Restaurant Oriental cuisine “Abulafia,” restaurant “Caucasus”, Sports Center “Sportek” and many other ones are interesting much.

The market (”Shouk) Caramel in the Yemeni quarter is one of the largest open-air markets in the Middle East. Yarkon Park is famous for its green lawns, a botanical garden and a garden of stones on the Japanese style, bird park “Tsapari” and real “Seven mills”, who worked there right up to 1936. The local zoo is considered one of the best in Asia. Tel Aviv Yacht-Club (”Marina”) is one of the most convenient in the Mediterranean, a water park “Meymadon” has every conceivable type of water rides and a children’s playground, and the longest urban beaches are equipped with most modern means of recreation and entertainment. In Tel Aviv at the yacht club can hire equipment for windsurfing, diving or any other type of active rest. Many sports facilities are concentrated along the boulevard Rokach.

Ancient Jaffa is one of the main ports of ancient Israel and one of the oldest cities in the world, it is believed that there Noah built his ark, hereabout Perseus freed Andromeda and hence the prophet Jonah set off, here it was revealed to the vision of the Apostle Peter and righteous Tabitha was resurrected. Here the return of Jews to Israel started too.

Now old Jaffa is turned into one big tourist and arts center with numerous restaurants, galleries, workshops, flea markets, showrooms, museums and archaeological excavations. The general population is also peculiar - artists, musicians, sculptors and others ‘creative specialties’. You can wander endlessly along to the old streets of Jaffa, at every turn and in every house discovering something new. Jaffa theater “Ha-Simta” (Lane), the Museum of Antiquities of Tel Aviv-Jaffa and the Museum of Tel Aviv-Jaffa History, theater “Gesher” in the hall “Foot” (here they played in Russian), Salon sculptures Frank Meisler’s works, underground archaeological museum on the square Kedumim or Russian-language disco “Megapolis” are interesting. In the old Jaffa there are many art galleries and shops, among which the gallery of hand knitted Gabrieli is the most interesting.

To the south of Jaffa the coastal town of Bat Yam ( “Mermaid”) lies. which is one of the favorite seaside resorts of Israelis. There are more than 3 km. sandy beaches, large city park, modern recreation center, there is even a large artificial ice rink! You can visit the cultural center “Ben-Ari”, and Art Museum “The House of the Fisherman”. At Ramle, which is 20 km. from Tel-Avi, there are interesting 30-meter minaret of the mosque “White Tower” (XIII cent.) and the Church of Nicodemus and Joseph (1902). There is 20 km. from Tel Aviv first mentioned in chronicles of XV century BC. city of Lod (Lud), in which, according to legend, St. George was buried. In the VI c. over the probable tomb of Saint basilica was erected, on the ruins of which the Crusaders built a church, restored only after much destruction in 1870. Also two ancient mosques, baths and a caravanserai are intacted.

But the main sight of the region is undoubtedly one of the oldest cities in the world, “the capital of three religions, the ancient capital of Israel - the holy city Jerusalem, which is more than 3 thousand years. City, which was called Jebus under King David, is a fantastic mix of monuments of history, cultures and peoples. Here number of sights are huge, so it’s worth taking a little more time for this unique place.

For the Lions Gate inside the Old City the Via Delaroza (Dolorosa, Way of Grief or Way of Suffering) extends, which, according to Biblical traditions, Christ has done his way to Calvary. Throughout the Way of Suffering all the stages of the path of the Messiah are marked by churches and monuments. Within Via Delaroza you should definitely see the Garden of Gethsemane for the Lions Gate, where Christ was arrested, the monastery of St. Anne (mother of the Virgin Mary), underground font Bethesda (Sheep font), School of El-Omari (Omrim) at the site of the Antonia fortress, the chapels of flagellation and conviction, the Monastery of the Zion Sisters, the building of the Armenian Patriarchate, the St. Veronica’s chapel and Church of the Virgin and Martyr. there is a place of interest “Terra Santa”, which lies slightly north of the family tomb of Herod.

Valley of the Kings is located to the south-west of the Temple Mount, between the Gethsemane Church and the valley of the Geyenom in the south. Its main sight is City of David, where the construction of Jerusalem was begun in the era of King David. In these places there are many archaeological sites - “Pillar of Absalom, the Tomb of Bnei Hezir, an ancient district Ophelia and Arch of Tanners. No less interesting part of Jerusalem, lying outside the Old City. At Safra Square a beautiful building of the Jerusalem municipality stands. Migrash a-Rusim (Russian Compound) to the Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (1863), the Court of First Instance and the Museum of Underground Prisoners in a building of ex-British prison are located rather westerly. Abyssinian (Ethiopian) church, the monastery of St. Joseph are located in the same area. Along the main street of the city - Jaffa, an entire series of sights stretches - Davidka Square (Kikar a-Herut, named after a homemade mortar “Davidka” actively used by the Israelis during the war for independence), the main market of the city - “Mahane Yehuda, the largest concert Hall of Jerusalem - Binyaney a’Uma (Palace of the Nation), the memorial Allenby, Synagogue “Clock Tower” (1906) and the picturesque block of ultra-Orthodox Jews Mea Shearim (”hundred gates”).

Worth visiting the Art Gallery at the King David, an interesting museum Latrun in Ayalon Valley is one of the best military museums in the world, with its own gift department, “park monkeys” is also interested (80 thousand square meters. M.) in Kfar Daniel. Near Train Station there are theater “Khan” in the old building of the caravanserai, the Church of St. Andrew (Church of Bruce, 1927), the ruins of a Byzantine church and many ancient cave burials of the First Temple. To the east of the station upland of Abu-Tor (Givat Hanania) is located, with a magnificent view of the Old Town, monasteries Hakel Dame, St. Peter-in-Glokento, the tomb of David, Center of Music named after Alberta, park area Yaar a-Shalom, Hell valley and the valley of Kidron.

City Nablus (Shechem) is known from biblical times as the capital of the Samaritans. The ruins of the ancient temple of the Hyksos, which houses the tomb of Joseph, kept safe here. The church of St. Anne, the tomb of Sidon, as well as caves and quarries of the Roman period in Jewish Sites are no less interesting.

Haifa, the third largest city and the largest seaport of Israel, lies on the slopes of Mount Caramel. For a long time, the city developed as an appendage of the port of Acre, and gradually became the central sea gate of the country and a major site of railways. Haifa is very different from other cities in Israel - there are constantly seething business life, strongly influenced by European traditions and a softer expression norms of Judaism - it is the only city in the country where the majority of urban transport and entertainment working on Saturdays.

The main sight of the city is the biblical Mount Caramel ( “Vineyard of God”, 546 meters), in which Elias-prophet lived, and is considered a “homeland” of the Order of Carmelites. These days, the mountain is occupied by urban areas and covered with numerous gardens and parks, among which are picturesquely scattered observation platforms and famous monasteries - a Catholic convent of the Order of Carmelites (XIII cent.), The Great Synagogue in Haifa on Herzl Street, the cave of Elias-prophet, and crowned with a golden-domed shrine Baha’i with its famous “Persian gardens” and the tomb of the founder of this religious movement - Al-Baha (Baba or Bar Myrcene Ali Mohammed).

Ancient Acre, located 13 km. south of Haifa, is another “tourist pearl” of the country. The first mention of the town belongs to 1800 BC., but the real fame it has brought the era of the Crusades, when the city became the capital of the Crusaders in Palestine, and was surrounded by powerful defensive structures. Therefore, any city of Crusaders did not come down to us in such a saved state, as Acre.

No less famous Bethlehem (Beit Lahm) lies south of Jerusalem. According to Christian precepts, Jesus was born here. Here King David also was born, and here he was anointed king by prophet Samuel. Therefore, the whole history and modern city life “revolves” around the shrines.
The main sight of the city is more like a fortress Church of the Nativity (326) on Manger Square with a grotto (nurseries) of Christ, keley and tomb of St. Jerome. It is equally venerated by believers of different faiths or the tomb of Rachel, Rachel Dome of the Rock on the outskirts of the city.

The green hills of Judea contrast with the sands and cliffs of the desert. Here, in these hills, for all of human history, there was so many events and so many people that every piece of land here is the page of history.
Hebron, one of the oldest cities in the world and the shrine of the three religions, is located 40 km. south of Jerusalem at an altitude of 950 m. The main shrine of Hebron is Cave tomb of the patriarchs Abraham and Sarah, who is revered by Muslims too. According to legend, the first people on earth - Adam and Eve, are also buried here. You can also see the remains of a Byzantine church, and Abraham’s well, hospice of the Russian Orthodox Church, the ruins of the ancient settlement of Elon Mamre, the ex-Jewish quarter (the biggest part of the city under the authority of the Palestinian Authority), the synagogue and the ancient Jewish cemetery, as well as scenic Muslim neighborhoods.

At the very south of the country, on the Red Sea coast, surrounded on all sides by a wall of high mountains and desert sands, there is the best seaside resort of the country - Eilat. Ancient Eilat, bearing the name Etzion Geber, located on the hill of El Huleyfa slightly east of the modern city (now the territory of Jordan). Waters of Eilat (Aqaba) Bay provide excellent opportunities for marine recreation and active travel - more than 12 km. first-class beaches, the northernmost coral reefs in Eurasia, constantly warm and crystal clear water, geological wonders “copies of King Solomon’s” in Timna Nature Reserve, the world’s only biblical park wildlife, Red Canyon and the rare beauty of the rocks, the abundance of greenery and the most modern entertainment.

Considerable interest in the Dead Sea area caused the gorge with the village of Qumran Essenes and the numerous caves, in which in 1947 were discovered the famous “The Dead Sea”, a dark canyon of Wadi Murabbat, where in 1952 in inaccessible caves were discovered unique letter-bar Kochba and other manuscripts, “The Hanging Palace” in the fortress of Massada, a mountain of Sodom, a flowering oasis-Ein Gedi nature reserve with a well David, reserves Nahal David and Nahal Arugot.

Unique and natural sites of Israel - Al Ha-Carmel, a natural arch and Keshet cave, stalactite caves Sorek, “lunar landscape” Makhtesh HaGadol and Makhtesh ha-Katan, Sodom Mountain and cave with pillars of salt, Lot’s wife “and many other exotic places.