The Golan Heights (Arabic: الجولان al-Dschaulan, Hebrew: רמת הגולן Ramat haGolan; in German often just "the Golan“) Are a region in near East. That in the sense of international law Syria belonging area was in Six Day War of Israel conquered and annexed in the early 1980s. Syria continues to lay claim to the land; currently, however, the Golan Heights can only be visited from Israel, which regards the region as part of its national territory.
The Golan Heights are only sparsely populated; there are some significant attractions including some archaeological sites and some natural parks, e.g. a major source of the Jordan.
Regional breakdown
The Golan Heights is a high plateau that is of volcanic origin. Parts of the region lie at an altitude of over 1000 m above sea level and thus much higher than the Jordan Rift to the west, which is partially already under the sea level. Towards the north, the terrain rises more and more, and then increases in height on the Hermon Mountains, where over 2000 m are reached.
The border to the eastern neighbor Syria, bordered by the Golan Heights on their entire eastern side, has been under surveillance by the UN for many decades and is largely calm. In the course of the Arab uprisings in spring 2011, there were a few incidents in which large groups of demonstrating civilians broke through the border and were sometimes violently pushed back by Israeli security forces. In the south the region borders on the river Yarmouk (Yarmouk) Jordan, Neighbor in the north is the Lebanon. In the Golan area, it is not possible to cross borders into neighboring countries. Israeli territory is to the west; here the Jordan and the Lake genezareth the Golan Heights of Upper Galilee, the border to the Israeli heartland roughly follows the course of the river or the east bank of the lake.
places
- The small town 1 Katzrin is an Israeli start-up after the wars against Syria; the place is the capital of the Golan.
- 2 Kfar Charuv is barely three kilometers southeast of En Gev - however 500 meters higher - on the western edge of the Golan; from the vantage point near the village one has a wonderful view over the Sea of Galilee and its surroundings.
- 3 Majdal Shams (Majdal Shams) is the largest Druze town on the Golan; it is close to the winter sports center.
- The moschav 4 Neve Ativ is located in the very north of the region. It operates on Hermon the most important resp. also the only winter sports area in Israel.
- 5 Merom Golan is near the volcanic crater Mt. Avital; the place operates a hotel.
Other goals
- 1 Banyas is a well-known nature park at the northwestern foot of the Golan Heights; here at the origin of one of the source rivers of the Jordan there are ruins of a Greek Pan sanctuary and the city of Caesarea Philippi, a little further down the river can be found on a path with numerous footbridges 2 "Suspended Trail" to be descended to the Banias waterfall.
- in the southern Golan there are several nature parks, which include the area with river valleys and waterfalls, according to the 3 Yehudiya Reserve and those bordered by basalt columns 4 Meshushin the pool .
- The excavations of 5 Gamla are known because of the distinctive ridge - similar to Masada - was a retreat for Jewish rebels, which after bitter resistance was finally captured by the Romans.
- 1 Hamat Gader in the Jarmuk valley, right on the Jordanian border, was a popular bathing place even in ancient times due to its hot springs.
- 6 Kursi is an archaeological site on the east bank of the Sea of Galilee north of En Gev.
- The 7 Nimrodsburg was an important fortress of the northern Golan; from the ruins east of Banyas one has a very nice view over the Hule plain.
background
history
The Golan Heights originally belonged to Syria; in 1981 they were annexed by Israel after fierce fighting during the Six Day War in 1967 and the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Again and again, acts of war had preceded it. Israel emphasizes to this day that the return of the Golan Heights has failed, among other reasons, because (as in the past) large parts of the northern Jordan Rift Valley must be feared by shelling from the higher-lying areas of the Golan if the Syrians return.
Like in Carmel Mountains there are villages in the Golan Heights where Druze live. Unlike their fellow believers on Mount Carmel, however, the Golan Druze feel they belong to Syria and more or less explicitly reject Israeli rule. Many Druze still have relatives on the Syrian side of today's border; They still talk to them with megaphones over the barriers to exchange messages.
After the annexation of the Golan, some Israeli settlements emerged in the region. Settlement is still low to this day: Large areas are undeveloped, the places are often far apart.
Natural conditions
The Golan area is a plateau of volcanic origin, black basalt is visible in many places. On the western edge of the Golan Heights, the terrain drops very abruptly towards the Jordan Rift. As a result, deeply indented canyons were washed out in many places, which are ideal retreats for rare plants and animals. The plateau falls gently towards the east Syria down, here are the apple and fruit growing areas.
In the north rises on Hermon massif the terrain steeply; the mountains in Syria reach a height of 2814 m. In the areas dominated by Israel only a height of a good 2200 m is reached, but at this height there is usually enough snow for a short ski season.
The Golan Heights are rich in water, at their foot rises with the Banyas (Nachal Hermon) one of the most important source rivers of the Jordan. This topic also played a role in the dispute with Syria: in the run-up to the wars with Israel, Syria tried to divert part of the water that ran off the Golan Heights in order to prevent Israel from treating it and using it as drinking water. To the south, the Golan Ridge is bounded by the Yarmuk Valley, this border river between Syria, Jordan and Israel is largely dammed up by Jordan as a water retention basin and only small amounts of water reach the Sea of Galilee.
In the Golan plateaus, which are significantly higher than the hot Jordan Valley, there is comparatively high amounts of precipitation. In spring, when everything is lush green, the area is reminiscent of landscapes in some places Ireland. The fertile but partly stony soils are well suited for viticulture and fruit growing, some of which are used intensively for agriculture. Many parts of the region are suitable as pastureland for cattle and sheep.
language
The inhabitants of the Jewish towns on the Golan speak Hebrew. The Druze speak Arabic as their mother tongue. As in the Israeli heartland, however, you usually get along well with English.
getting there
By plane
There is no civil airfield on the Golan Heights. The preferred airport for arrival is the Ben Gurion Airport at Tel Aviv. The easiest way to get to the region from there is by rental car.
By train
The Golan is not connected to the railway network and it is not possible to travel by train.
By bus
In contrast to large sections of Israel, the Golan Heights are generally difficult to travel to by public transport because the bus network is also very thin. The only place on the Golan Heights that buses run to even more or less regularly is Katzrin. Travelers who are absolutely dependent on public transport should see if they are in Tiberias possibly be able to take part in an organized day trip. Everyone else should consider taking a rental car there for a day or two and setting off on their own.
In the street
The Golan Heights represent the northeasternmost tip of the area ruled by Israel. Accordingly, one orientates oneself from the centers of the country towards the northeast or in the direction Lake genezareth: From Tel Aviv you follow the coast (Autobahn 2 or 6; the latter is subject to a toll; alternatively you can also take road 4) to the north and then turn off at Hadera take road 65 to the inland; of Jerusalem you can take the route through the West Bank or the Jordan Valley: Follow road 1 to the east and then the intersecting road 90 to the north.
In the area of the Sea of Galilee or the Jordan Valley to the north of it, there are several main routes to the Golan Heights (there are also some smaller roads, but they are more regionally important):
- In the far south, at the outflow of the Jordan from the Sea of Galilee, road 98 begins, which is within sight of the Jordanian border Hamat Gader winds over longer serpentines to the plateau.
- It runs along the northern edge of the Sea of Galilee Tabgha and Capernaum past the road 87; on this street you pass the Yehudiya Nature Park fastest to the area around Katzrin.
- A little further north, road 91 leads to the Golan, which passes Katzrin to the north; this road is an option when traveling from northern Galilee.
- The northernmost street is street 99 from Kirjat Schmona to the east - this road leads to Banyas, Nimrod Fortress and Neve Ativ relatively directly.
mobility
Due to the comparatively thin settlement, the Golan Heights are hardly accessible by public transport. While you can get to Katzrin at least regularly, you can hardly make any progress in the area by bus - if you get to your destination at all: Some places are not connected to the bus network at all, on some bus lines only individual buses run, to many places there are maximums three to five buses in each direction. If you want to use buses on site, you have to plan the tours carefully. Most of the lines are run by the regional company Rama - Golan Public Transport served; Egged does not play a role in regional transport.
Hitchhiking also falls on the Golan Heights (which is no longer so easy in Israel anyway; see notes in the main article Israel) heavy. As I said, the easiest way to get around is with an organized tour or a rental car. If necessary, you should consider renting a car for a planned Golan excursion - then you at least know that you will reach the desired destination. There are car rental companies in, for example Tiberias.
If you are traveling by car, you can hardly get lost on the few main streets of the Golan: There are only a few larger east-west axes, in the north-south direction there is only one road with road 98, which leads to the Golan crossed the entire route and roughly oriented towards the border with the Syrian heartland. The other north-south routes only open up partial regions. With an average street map, planning a visit to the Golan Heights is no major problem.
Tourist Attractions
- The main town Katzrin, is the seat of the famous Golan Heights Winery, there are excavations and a museum.
- Banyas offers the visitor with its Jordan springs a very beautiful nature reserve, plus some excavations, after all, Banyas was an important city in antiquity (Caesarea Philippi).
- Distinctive lookout points are located on the Hermon at Neve Ativ and at Kfar Charuv.
- The Birket Ram is an elliptical lake a few kilometers south of Majdal Shams.
- The archaeological site of the ancient city Gamla reminds of the Jewish resistance against the Romans in the first Jewish war.
- In Hamat Gader you can bathe in hot springs; impressive remains of Roman baths were excavated here.
- In Kursi a church was excavated; the place is associated with the biblical story in which Jesus heals a demon possessed man.
activities
At the Hermon
- In winter: Alpine skiing - On the Israeli part of the mountain Hermon (in the north of the Golan Heights) there is the only ski area in Israel. The small ski area is between 1600 and 2000 m high; there are several runs of different difficulty levels. For more information, see the lift operator's website at www.skihermon.co.il (Also information about the ski area in English). Israel's winter sports resort is used by the residents of the neighboring town Neve Ativ operated.
- In summer: ride the chairlift to the Israeli part of Mount Hermon at 2000 m. The two-seater chairlift of the ski area is also in operation in the summer half of the year. Further information: www.skihermon.co.il (also summer information about the chairlift in English). From the summit you have a wonderful view of large parts of Israel and Syria.
- Summer toboggan run - In the area of the ski area there is also a summer toboggan run on steel rails.
miscellaneous
- Yehudiya Nature reserve - Very beautiful nature reserve, a few kilometers northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Various hikes with a duration of three to six hours are possible there. The terrain is sometimes challenging: you have to climb down rocks using ladders and then swim through pools. A small campsite belongs to the national park.
- Yehudiya Forest Nature Reserve. Tel.: 972-4-696-2817, 972-4-696-3043, Fax: 972-4-696-1166. Open: April-Sept: 8 am-5pm; in winter until 4 p.m. One hour earlier on Fridays and the eve of public holidays. Last admission is two hours before the respective closing time.Price: Adults: 21 NIS, teenagers: 9 NIS; there are group rates and various discounts.(As of 06/2011)
- Meshushin the pool: a tributary of the Nahal Yehudiya forms a pond surrounded by basalt columns.
kitchen
In many places in the smaller towns in the Golan you can get the falafel and "shwarma", the Israeli variant of the doner kebab, which are typical in Israel.
The winery is right next door 1 "Hamat HaGolan / Golan Heights Wineries"; in which award-winning wines are already being produced after a few years of existence, there are other wineries in the region.
The Druze villages are known for their Arabic-inspired cuisine Majdal Shams and Mas'ada at the southern foot of the Hermon Mountains.
nightlife
security
The security situation on the Golan is comparable to that in the Israeli heartland - the area is normally peaceful and can be visited without any risks.
The Golan Heights were fought over during the wars, and some areas are mined to this day. You should therefore not try to go your own way through the area.
climate
The Golan Heights are relatively high, so it is comparatively cool in summer and there is a lot of rain in winter. It can get very cold during winter. Of course, this applies in particular to the high altitudes on the northern edge of the Golan: Only because of the altitude does it get cold enough for snow to fall - and usually stay there for a few weeks.
