Haifa: a first-timer's guide to the city on Mount Carmel

Why go

Haifa feels calmer and more lived-in than Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. It has a long tradition of coexistence, good Arab and Jewish food, beaches at the foot of the mountain and fine views from the top. It is also the natural stop between Tel Aviv and the Galilee.

The Bahai Gardens

The **Bahai Gardens**, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, surround the golden-domed **Shrine of the Bab**, a holy place of the Bahai faith. Free guided tours walk you down the terraces from the top on most days; times and languages change, so check the official Bahai site the day before. The lower terraces open onto **Ben Gurion Boulevard** and the **German Colony**, a street of nineteenth century Templer houses that are now restaurants and cafes. Dress modestly and keep to the paths.

Neighbourhoods

**Wadi Nisnas** is an Arab neighbourhood of market stalls, bakeries and street art; it hosts the **Holiday of Holidays** festival in December, celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas and Ramadan when they fall together. The **Lower Town** near the port has bars and restaurants in old warehouses. Up the mountain, **Carmel Center** has cafes, hotels and the **Louis Promenade**, with the best views over the bay.

Getting up and down

The **Carmelit** is a short underground funicular, one of the smallest metro systems in the world, climbing from the Lower Town to Carmel Center. A **cable car** runs from Bat Galim beach to the **Stella Maris** Carmelite monastery, and a newer cable car links the bay area to the university and Technion. Buses cover the rest, and some lines run on Shabbat.

Museums and sights

The **Madatech** science museum suits families. **Elijah's Cave**, sacred to Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze, sits at the foot of the mountain. The **Haifa Museum of Art** and the **Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art** are worth a rainy afternoon, and the **Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum** tells the story of ships bringing Jewish immigrants in the 1940s.

Day trips

**Akko**, also called Acre, is twenty five minutes away by train. Its UNESCO-listed old city has the vaulted **Knights' Halls** of the Crusaders, the **Templar Tunnel**, the **Al Jazzar Mosque**, a fish market and a harbour where boys jump off the sea wall. Further north, **Rosh HaNikra** has white chalk grottoes reached by a steep cable car, right on the border with Lebanon; check travel advice before going there, as the northern border area has had warnings. To the south, the Druze villages of **Daliyat al Karmel** and **Isfiya** offer warm hospitality and food, and **Caesarea** has a Roman harbour, theatre and aqueduct beach.

Food

Try falafel in Wadi Nisnas, knafeh and Arab sweets, fresh fish in the Lower Town and Akko, and Druze pita with labneh in the Carmel villages.

Where to stay

Carmel Center is quiet with the best views; the German Colony is central for food and the gardens; the Lower Town suits nightlife.

Practical tips

Haifa is hilly, so plan routes with the funicular and buses rather than walking uphill in summer heat. Find more spots in our places to visit list.