On the slopes of Mount Carmel, located on the Mediterranean coastlines sits the city of Haifa, Israel’s 3rd largest city whose origins go back more than 3000 years. This is where we started our second trip to Israel,
and I was so excited to get to explore this city on the northern coast of Israel! I had heard so much about Haifa, about all the art being produced there, how it is a place of peaceful coexistence between people of all religions who live there…if you have any interest in visiting this beautiful city, keep reading because we definitely had an incredible time in Israel’s “unofficial northern capital!”
I know some people will ask and wonder and ask about what is appropriate to wear in Haifa, as it is in Israel and I always get asked what is appropriate to wear when traveling there. All cities in Israel are unique and not all rules apply to each. Haifa is a lot more laid back than other places in Israel. It is a super modern city full of young people and I felt completely comfortable wearing basically whatever I normally wear. I would advise to always carry a scarf with you when sightseeing in Israel, especially in the summer months when you might be baring more skin, so that if you want to go into a church or other holy site, you have something to cover up with and won’t be denied admission. That being said, the only holy site we went to in Haifa was Stella Maris Monastery, and my spagetti strap dress was not offensive so its safe to say you are safe wearing most clothing in this city.
Haifa Travel Guide: The Sights
The Ba’hai Gardens
The Ba’Hai Gardens are one of Haifa’s biggest tourist attractions, drawing about 500,000 tourists a year, and it is easy to see why! These beautiful gardens are the setting for the headquarters of the Ba’hai faith, and the shrine of the Báb, which is the resting place of the Prophet-Herald of the Bahá’í Faith. I had never heard of this religion before coming to Haifa, so here’s a little background…according to Wikipedia:
The Bahá’í Faith (/bəˈhɑːiː, -ˈhaɪ/; Persian: بهائی Bahā’i) is a religion teaching the essential worth of all religions, and the unity and equality of all people. Established by Bahá’u’lláh in 1863, it initially grew in Persia and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception.
These gardens are so breath-taking and were designed by Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba to imitate the gardens of old Persia. To be able to visit the gardens, you need to book a tour! Make sure to check out this link to learn more before your visit!
Wadi Nisnas Arab Market
One of my favorite things we did in Haifa was take a culinary tour of the Wadi Nisnas, which is a mostly Arab Christian marketplace near the German Colony. While you can definitely wander the streets on your own, we booked a tour with local chef Erez Golko, who took us to all the best places in the market. This market has some of the most authentic food in Haifa, including what is known as the best falafel in the city…I’m not claiming to be a falafel expert, but I can tell you right now, it was the best I’ve ever had! Erez was such a fun tour guide and came equipped with plenty of ouzo…be prepared, if you’re going to hang out with Israelis, you will have a lot of ouzo and arak shots in your future!
I’ll let Erez take you to all the spots, but I will say, the best falafel you’ll have in Haifa…or ever… is at HaZkenim Falafel!
The best part about our tour with Erez was heading back to his amazing home and having an incredible lunch that he prepared with fresh ingredients from the market. It was definitely the best welcome meal to Israel we could’ve hoped for!
Stella Maris Monastery
One of the historical landmarks of Haifa has to be Stella Maris Monastery. This monastery serves as the religious center for the Carmelite order throughout the world. Don’t ask me what that means, because I have no clue. If you really want to know the history of the amazing landmarks in Haifa, you have to call our awesome tourguide, Ron! He is just a walking encyclopedia of knowledge and is also hilarious. You won’t be dissapointed with having him show you around the city! The one thing I did find interesting about this church was the fact that it was built around the cave that the prophet Elijah supposedly lived in for a time. This makes this site holy to not only Christians, but Jews, Muslims, and Druze as well.
The Artist’s Village at Ein Hod
This artist village is an incredibly unique community of artists who live and work together in the countryside outside the city of Haifa. It was founded in the 50’s by a group of artists led by renowned Dada artist Marcel Janco. To this day, the community tries to follow the general principles of reciprocity and form a culture based on sharing. Today, you can find people creating art in every creative medium, from visual arts like painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry and more, to theater and literature.
When you come for a visit, you can drop in on differernt artist’s galleries and watch them work. We got to stop in on the home of Tova and Henia Magal, two twin sisters who produce ceramics and whose parents were some of the founding members of Ein Hod. Their father was Ben Zion Magal, a famous Israeli impressionist painter, and we got to check out his incredible body of work as well. Many of his paintings depict the landscape of Israel as well as traditional Jewish life in Eastern Europe. My favorites however, were his dancer paintings…they reminded me of Degas a bit.
Amphorae Winery
In case you didn’t know, Israel is a great place to go wine tasting. Their climate on the Mediterranean makes it perfectly suited for producing wine, so naturally I had to try some for myself. We decided to visit Amphorae Winery, which is located right outside the city in a gorgeous setting that makes you feel like you stepped into Italy…in fact, it is known as Israel’s “most beautiful vineyard.” They have an incredible tasting room on location from which you can try all their organic wines. If you are interested in doing a full tasting, you must make a reservation for their winery tour. Make sure to do this in advance of your trip! We also really enjoyed their cheese and veggie plate, which was very generous- the perfect snack while sipping on some wine!
Talpiot Market
Israel is full of amazing markets in each city you visit, but Talpiot is one we visited our last night and it was so vibrant and full of life! When you visit here, you can find all kinds of fresh produce and locally made goods, but what I really want you to know about is the restaurant Talpiot, which was probably one of my favorite meals in Israel. We had the pleasure of getting to hang out/do several ouzo shots with Chef/Owner Ilan Ferron Lahat, whose menu is just so delicious and whose hospitality is even better. If you’re in Haifa, please make sure to visit here, you will not be sorry!
Nightlife in Haifa
You can’t come to Haifa and not check out their nightlife. If you’re looking for one general area to hit up and find some spots to go out, the Lower City is your best bet. I don’t have any photos from this spot, but one place we loved while we were there was Iza Bar, in the lower city. If you check this bar out, you are bound to encounter several other awesome bars in this general area, but the reason we loved this spot was because of their super cheap prices and awesome beer tap selection. They have tons of outdoor tables to sit at to enjoy the mild nighttime weather and people watch.
Fattoush had to be our favorite spot that we went out to in Haifa. This is an Arab bar that also serves as a restaurant and gallery as well as a nighclub. The DJ that was playing the night we went was fantastic and the space its awesome. You won’t be disappointed with this spot!
That about does it for our time in Haifa! I also have a fun travel vlog that I put together with footage from our trip… please do check it out and SUBSCRIBE to my Youtube channel!
To enquire about our amazing trip coordinator, Anna Davelman, please shoot me an email at missmoorestyle@gmail.com!
If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy my other Israel posts:
artists commune Haifa Nightlife Haifa travel guide Israel Israel tourism Talpiot restaurant visit Israel
Lovely!
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