Western Galilee is the name for the narrow coastal strip between Haifa and the Lebanese Border in the north Israel. This area corresponds to the coastal region of the Israeli Northern District.
The most important and well-known attraction in the area is the city Akko, however, has Western Galilee with the seaside resort Nahariyah, the chalk cliffs of Rosh HaNikra and some other, lesser-known destinations to offer even more sights.
Regional breakdown
In the north, Western Galilee borders the Lebanon, in the south to the mountains of the Carmel Mountains, in the east marks the road 70 which marks the border to Upper and Lower Galilee.
The region can be roughly divided into two sub-regions. The northern part between Akko and the border with the city Nahariyah in the center is a relatively narrow, predominantly agricultural coastal strip. In contrast, the area further south along the Bay of Haifa has an urban character. There are many industrial companies and a number of medium-sized cities along the bay, so that the settlement band between Haifa and Akko now hardly shows any gaps. The cities of this area are often collectively referred to as "K (e) rajot" or "HaKrajot". This is due to the fact that some cities, e.g. Kirjat Jam, Kirjat Motzkin or Kirjat Bialik, have the term "Kirja (t)" (Hebrew: settlement or city) in their name. "(Ha) Krajot" is the Hebrew plural of the word, correspondingly means "(the) cities or (the) settlements".
places
- Akko is one of the main tourist destinations in the area. The crusader city at the northern end of the Bay of Haifa, which has retained a strong oriental character, is a World Heritage Site.
- Nahariyah is a popular seaside resort on the Mediterranean coast.
Other goals
- Rosh HaNikra with its chalk cliffs lies directly on the Lebanese border.
- Adamite: near the kibbutz on the northern border with Lebanon are the national parks Nahal Betzet Reserve with the natural arch of the Qeshet Cave, Hanita Reserve and the Admit Park.
- Lochamei haGeta'ot is a kibbutz founded by survivors of the Shoah a few kilometers north of Akko with a museum that deals with the extermination of the Jews and the Jewish resistance under the Nazi regime.
- Bahji is an important place of pilgrimage for the Baha'i; The founder of the Baha'i faith lived and died in the country house with parks (north of Akko).
background
getting there
By train
Western Galilee is crossed in a north-south direction by the railway line that runs along Israel's Mediterranean coast. The Israeli railways usually offer intercity connections to and from Nahariya twice an hour, with stops in Akko, Krajot and Haifa. Further south, the Intercitys run either to Modi'in (along the coast, then via Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport) or to, depending on the route Beer Sheva (across the coast, Tel Aviv and Lod). The suburban line from Haifa runs to Akko in the north, serving Nahariya Not. At night there is an hourly night train from Nahariya via Haifa and Tel Aviv to the airport, which, however, leaves out many stations along the way.
By bus
If you arrive by bus, the easy way to get there is via the Haifa junction. From there, buses go to Nahariyah in rapid succession along road 4 via Akko; Line 271 runs from the Haifa central bus station "HaMifrats" in northern Haifa several times an hour to Naharija (partly supplemented by other lines); At peak times, there is a 10-minute cycle between the two cities.
By car
West Galilee is crossed or touched by roads 4 and 70 in a north-south direction. Coming from the south you can reach the area via Haifa or the roads from the northwestern Jezreel plain (roads 70 and 75). There are several road connections to the east. From Nahariya you can get there by road 89 Safed and the Hule Plain, from Akko on 85 den Lake genezareth, from the Krajot area via road 79 Nazareth. It is not possible to travel from the north (from Lebanon).
mobility
Tourist Attractions
- Rosh HaNikra lies on the border with Lebanon and, with its white cliffs, is one of the most important sights in Western Galilee. The sea has formed caves and grottoes that are connected by a tunnel over 200 m long. You can reach it from above with a cable car.
- The ruins of the crusader fortress Montfort are about 15 km from Naharija inland.
- in the Tefen Industrial Park there is an open museum that houses an art collection and a collection of motor vehicles as well as a museum of the German Jewry houses.
