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ERETZ Magazine
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Stayput
Acre
Richard Lion-Heart, Phillip of France, Saint Louis, Marco Polo,
Rabbi Nahman of Braslav, Napoleon, and many others
passed through Acre. For generations, it was the gate to the Holy
Land, the starting point on the road to China.
Acre is a city waiting to be
discovered. The ancient port was the Crusaders’ first foothold in
the Holy Land and the last city from which they departed. For a
century, it served as the Crusader capital – with separate quarters
for the Italian maritime powers of Venice, Genoa, and Pisa, grand
palaces and castles of the orders of the Hospitallers and Templars,
and wharves and harbors from which the goods of the East made their
way to Europe and European products made their way to the East.
Marco Polo set out to China from Acre and Benjamin of Tudela, the
intrepid twelfth-century Jewish traveler, passed through here on his
way to visit the Jewish communities in Yemen and Arabia.
Moslem Acre was built on the remains of the half-buried,
half-destroyed Crusader city. Jazzar, the venerable despot of the
city, managed to beat off Napoleon in the beginning of the
nineteenth century and build the strong defenses that we still see
today.
Two decades of excavations in Acre are bringing to light the
castles, forts, and quarters of the Crusader city. With its markets
and khans, ancient walls, and beautiful location on the bay, Acre is
becoming one of the most interesting destinations in Israel.
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Dining in Acre
Since Acre is a port town, it is
not surprising that fish and seafood dominate the dining options
there. Uri Yermias opened the Uri Buri restaurant years ago and it
has been considered the best one in town ever since. The menu
consist of a variety of fish and seafood (Hahaganah Street, Migdalor
Plaza, Tel. (04) 955-2212, not kosher). Another option is Doniana,
which is located on the southern wall. In addition to a great view,
it offers an impressive menu of seafood and meat at prices that are
slightly more reasonable than those of Uri Buri (Southern Wall,
Pisan Port, Tel. (04) 991-0001, not kosher).
Said’s hummus is considered the best in Israel and the recipe for it
is one of the country’s best-kept secrets. He recently opened a
branch in Tel Aviv, but apparently the atmosphere of the ancient
marketplace adds a special flavor to the hummus (Acre Market, Tel.
(04) 991-3945, not kosher). For dessert, head to the nearby Kashash,
which has excellent kanafe and baklava.
One of the only kosher options in town is the Palm Diner, a
cafeteria serving home-style Israeli cuisine like meatballs and
goulash (Palm Beach Hotel, Tel. (04) 991-3955, kosher).
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Itinerary
Day 1: Acre
Explore the Crusader town of Acre,
which is a UNESCO world heritage site. Visit the Hospitaller Castle,
once the headquarters of that famous order of nights, tour the
underground city, the port, and the massive walls that withstood
Napoleon.
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Day
2: Kabbalah
Begin in Safed with an orientation
seminar on Jewish mysticism. Visit the medieval synagogues of Safed
and tour some of the many Hassidic yeshivas found in the alleys of
the old city. Tour the ancient cemetery of Safed, where holy men,
rabbis, and mystics are buried. Join the many supplicants at the
graves. After lunch, take the road to Biriya and continue to the
Biriya forest. Follow the signs to the grave of Raban Yonatan ben
Uziel, a famous second-century mystic whose grave, in the middle of
the forest, is a magnet for shiduch seekers. Take the road back to
the Bat Ya’ar ranch for dinner or late drinks overlooking the Hula
Valley.
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Day
3: Nazareth
Take Route 85 east to Achihud
Junction, turn right and follow Route 70 to Route 79. Take Route 79
to Zippori and visit ancient Sephoris, the capital of Galilee in
ancient times. Continue on Route 79 to Nazareth. Tour Nazareth’s Old
City, making sure not to miss the Basilica of the Annunciation, the
Spring of Nazareth, the Church of St. Gabriel, and the Synagogue
Church.
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Day
4: Sea of Galilee
Take Route 85 to Route 90 and then
drive to Tiberias. Drive through the town and stop at the Hamat
synagogue just south of the town. Continue south on Route 90 to
Kibbutz Deganiya Aleph and tour the Deganiya Courtyard, where the
first kibbutz was founded. Drive to Kibbutz Sha’ar Hagolan to visit
the small museum on prehistory. Drive to Ein Gev for lunch. Continue
north on Route 92 past the important Christian site of Kursi,
commemorating the healing of the Gerasene demoniac. Continue north
to the junction with Route 87. Take Route 87 west. Cross the Jordan
River. On the other side are the important Christian sites of
Capernaum, Tabgha, and the Mount of Beatitudes. Stop off at
Capernaum to view the ancient synagogue and at Tabgha to see the
mosaic. At the junction with Route 90, take Route 90 to the north.
At the Corazim Junction, turn off to reach the Vered Hagalil ranch,
which serves the best pancakes and maple syrup in Israel.
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Day
5: Jerusalem
Take Route 4 to Haifa. Take Route
2 to Tel Aviv. Follow 20 to Route 1, which leads to Jerusalem. Enter
the Old City via the Jaffa Gate and visit the Tower of David Museum
on the history of Jerusalem. Then walk down David Street, the main
souvenir market, to the first intersection. Turn left onto Christian
Quarter Street and walk to the alley of Saint Helena that leads down
to the Holy Sepulcher. Exit by the small entrance to the courtyard
that leads to the Muristan Market. Walk straight ahead until you
reach the busy market street of Khan e-Zeit. Turn right and walk
down the ancient Crusader markets. Once out of the market, turn left
on David Street and make your way round the corner to Sisileh Street
(the Street of the Chain). Walk down the street to the street
turning to the Kotel. Walk down to the Kotel. After visiting the
Kotel, take the Rabbi Yehudah Halevi steps up to the Jewish Quarter.
Make your way through the quarter to Zion Gate, walk out the gate,
turn right, and walk along the outside of the wall, around the
corner and back to the Jaffa Gate.
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Day
6: Tel Aviv
Take Route 4 to Haifa. Take Route
2 to Tel Aviv. Start in the south by exploring the Old City of Jaffa.
Then take a taste of historic Tel Aviv by strolling through Neve
Tzedek, Rothschild Boulevard, and the surrounding streets. Take a
lunch break on Sheinkin Street and then check out the shops along
Dizengoff Street. End the day with dinner on Ibn Gabirol Street.
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Acre's
Horizon
In 2000, the Israeli government
identified a number of towns in Israel that were suffering from
ongoing economic and social problems and decided to provide them
with aid through a special program called Ofek (Hebrew for Horizon).
Acre was among these towns. In order to help implement the Ofek
program, Michael Strauss, one of the owners of the Strauss Dairy,
volunteered to work with Acre Mayor Shimon Lankari. A master plan
for the city was prepared and then the renovation and rehabilitation
of the major tourist sites in Acre began. These renovations included
the Bahai Gardens, the Acre Prison, and the Sea Promenade. Acre’s
education system also received a major budgetary injection to
renovate kindergartens and enhance science studies. In addition,
Acre was declared a “music city” and became a national model for the
development of music studies. The plans’ main goals included
encouraging a “strong” population to move into the city.
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Akkotel
Akkotel, a boutique hotel with 16
suites and guestrooms, recently opened in a historic building that
is part of the walls of the Old City of Acre. Most of the building
was built during the reign of Ahmad Al Jazzar Pasha in the late
eighteenth century to serve as the headquarters of the city’s
military brass. It has since fulfilled many other functions, serving
as an elementary school for boys, a warehouse, and a courthouse. It
was recently renovated and turned into a luxurious boutique hotel
with two suites, five family guestrooms that can accommodate two
adults and two children, and nine regular guestrooms, all of which
have charming furnishings and modern conveniences. There is a
fashionable restaurant on the ground floor and in the summer a
cafeteria will operate on the roof, which is a continuation of
Acre’s eastern wall and offers a spectacular view of the old city,
the marina, the Haifa Bay, the Carmel Mountains, and the Galilee.
The hotel is a short walk from several beaches, as well as the sites
and attractions of Acre.
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