Kiryat Shmona

If you would like to see as much of Israel as possible on your trip to Israel, perhaps you should start in the northernmost city of Kiryat Shmona in the Hula Valley. This city was named after the 8 heroes who fell in the battle of 1920 in Tel Hai. Founded on the remains of the Arab village of Khalsa in 1949, Kiryat Shmona was originally a transit camp for mainly farming immigrants. The city continued to thrive as did its industry and there are now several successful plants in the city. Visitors can find the southern entrance of Kiryat Shmona at the base of Manara Cliff, which is also where the longest scenic cable car is located (1,900 meters). This cable car brings people to Kibbutz Manara where they can revel in the gorgeous scenery. More daring visitors can take all-terrain bicycles down one side of the cliff, which can be rented right there. The Golden Park is another area of interest close by, located on either side of Ein Zahav (Golden Spring) Stream. There is a flour mill that still stands beside the stream, built in the Ottoman Period, near a small mosque that is not the location of the Kiryat Shmona museum. If you are planning to stay in Kiryat Shmona on your Israel tour, you will have a number of different places to stay, shop and eat as well as many interesting sites nearby-Tel Hai, Khurshat Tal, National Park, Hula Valley Nature Reserve and Tel Dan Nature Reserve.