Gan hashloscha - Gan haSchloscha

Gan hashloscha (Hebrew גן השלושה, "Garden of Three"), also known by the Arabic name Sachne, is a israeli national park with very nice bathing possibilities in the Bet She'an Valley in the northern Israel. The kibbutz is in the immediate vicinity Nir David with a small museum and the reconstructed one Tower-and-palisade settlementTel Amal.

background

Natural park

The name of the "Garten der Drei" nature park is reminiscent of three Jewish resistance fighters who perished in this area in 1938. While the park is very popular as a getaway destination with locals, it is generally less well known with tourists. One of the reasons for this is that it is only briefly mentioned in many travel guides, sometimes even completely absent. The park does not normally appear in the program of organized trips either.

Gan haSchloscha is located directly north of the Gilboa Mountains Bet She'an. The border with the West Bank and the Jordan Valley are only a few kilometers away as the crow flies. The heart of the park is formed by natural thermal pools with clear, deep blue water that has a constant temperature of 28 ° C all year round thanks to its warm springs. The warm ponds are a worthwhile destination, especially in the transition period, when the water is still too cold for bathing elsewhere, but the air is already warm. The pools are framed by lawns, palm trees and exotic flora. Time magazine counted the place among 20 places worldwide that are worth making a detour.

Since Gan HaSchloscha is popular with the Israelis, the park should be avoided on public holidays and weekends. During the week, however, you have the chance of an outstanding bathing experience. Eating and drinking are allowed; Israelis also like to use the park for picnics and barbecues. Showers are available.

Tel Amal

The reconstruction of the tower-and-palisade settlement Tel Amal is also part of the park. Tel Amal (Hebrew: תל עמל) was the first settlement of its kind in what was then Palestine. The background was constant clashes between Jews and Arabs with mutual attacks. In order to be better protected against enemy attacks, Tel Amal was built on December 10, 1936 within a day. A prefabricated tower was erected for this purpose, and the huts were protected from the outside by a double-walled wooden palisade with gravel filling, so that the place was easy to defend from the first night. The built-up area was 1000 square meters. Following the Tel Amals model, a large number of other settlements emerged in the 1930s, including in the area of ​​the Jordan Valley and along the Mediterranean coast.

getting there

By train

Gan haSchloscha cannot be reached directly by train. If you want to travel by public transport, you have to rely on the bus. The next station of the Israel Railways is in the neighboring Bet Sche'an (with at least hourly connection from Haifa), however there is no bus from the station directly to Gan HaSchloscha.

By bus

The company's bus route 412 Superbus operated the route Afula - Bet Sche'an and stop at the entrance to the park (keep an eye on the signs or map or ask the bus driver). From the bus stop at the junction it is a 500 meter walk to the pools.

It should be noted that the faster line between Afula and Bet She'an (411, also Superbus) only stops further north along main road 71. Line 411 is therefore used for the journey Not in question, as you would have to walk several kilometers.

Of	Bus routes	Connection density during the day	Duration approx.	Price NIS	Hints
Afula	412*	2-3 times / hour	25 min
Bet She'an	412*	2-3 times / hour	10 min
Notes: Individual lines may be missing in the table (e.g. if they rarely run). The bar density refers to all available connections. The links in the table are used for travel planning, so they lead to the Arrival information of the linked location. Swell: Egged and Otobusim.co.il; Status: 09/2016 - * Lines with a star are not served by Egged, but by another company.

In the street

The park is located a few kilometers west of Bet She'an at Kibbutz Nir David on road 669. Coming from Bet She'an you first choose road 6667 and then follow road 669 west to Gan haSchloscha. The access to the park is signposted.

If you come from the direction of the center of the country or from the coast, you should first keep in the direction of Afula and then follow the signs in the direction of Bet She'an. Between Afula and Bet She'an you choose the road 71 up to the height of Bet haShita and then turn at the HaShita Junction turn right onto road 669. Follow the road past Bet Alfa and after about 5 km (counting from the intersection) you will reach the park.

Fees and opening times

Entry to the park costs 38 NIS for adults and 23 NIS for children. Group discounts are only available for larger groups; Seniors can try to get a senior discount. The park opens every day at 8 a.m. in the summer half-year (April to September) it is open until 5 p.m., in the winter half-year until 4 p.m. (then only the top of the three water basins is filled). On Fridays and the eve of public holidays, it closes an hour earlier than normal. Last admission is one hour before the respective closing time. Swimming is possible up to 30 minutes before the park closes, after which the lifeguards will urge you to leave the water. (Status: 03/2011)

activities

Gan haSchloscha is primarily used for bathing and relaxing. If you have the time, you can spend a whole day here just sunbathing, swimming and relaxing and you don't even have to visit the museum or the tower-and-palisade settlement. If you are planning further activities, you can visit the park as part of a longer daily program - but you should plan at least two hours if you want to enjoy your stay.

There is a special treat for people with good nerves: There are small fish in the pools that usually nibble on algae from the stones. When not too busy, you can hang your feet in the water and let the fish sand your skin. It doesn't hurt, just tickles a bit, but requires that you not reflexively pull your feet away.

kitchen

There is a large kiosk in the upper part of the park; in the lower part there is a restaurant with a terrace.

accommodation

• There is a small holiday complex in Kibbutz Nir David, which consists of well-equipped log cabins.
  A Wooden Chalet in the Valley, Kibbutz Nir David, Israel. Tel.: 972-4-6488525, Fax: 972-4-6488772. Price: The overnight stay (2 people, including breakfast) costs from 610 NIS.last change: not specified

security

There is a lifeguard at each pool. There are no particular dangers in the area of ​​the national park; one should, however, exercise the usual caution when bathing.

trips

A visit to Gan HaSchloscha can be easily combined with a tour of the excavations in Bet She'an or with a detour to Bet Alfa connect.

Web links