Haifa: The City on the Slopes of Mount Carmel

Haifa climbs up the slopes of Mount Carmel to meet the sea, and its character comes from the mix: a working port city, Israel's third largest, where Jewish and Arab neighborhoods share the hillsides, and where the country's most photographed gardens spill down the mountain in 19 perfect terraces. It's less polished than Tel Aviv and less intense than Jerusalem - many travelers find that exactly the point.

The Bahá'í Gardens

The golden-domed Shrine of the Báb and its terraced gardens are Haifa's centerpiece and a UNESCO site. You can view them from the classic photo spot on Yefe Nof Street in the Carmel, or join a free guided walk down the terraces (book ahead on the Bahá'í site; modest dress required). The lower entrance sits in the German Colony - time your visit so you end there for dinner.

German Colony and the port area

The German Colony's restored Templer stone houses now hold the city's liveliest restaurant row along Ben Gurion Boulevard, with the illuminated gardens rising behind. Down at the port, the converted warehouses host food markets and galleries, and the campus of Haifa's museums cluster around the old Turkish market.

Wadi Nisnas and the food scene

Haifa's best eating is in Wadi Nisnas, the Arab neighborhood below the Bahá'í terraces: hummus institutions, falafel counters, knafeh and bakeries selling ka'ak and baklava. The "Holiday of Holidays" festival in December, celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas and Ramadan together, fills these streets. Come hungry and on foot.

Carmel and the coast

Up on the Carmel ridge, the Louis Promenade gives you the bay panorama from the port to Acre. Below, Haifa's beaches (Dado and Bat Galim) are wide and uncrowded by Israeli standards, with a boardwalk and surf schools. The Carmelite - Israel's only subway, really a funicular - connects the Carmel, the center and the coast in one straight line.

Practical tips

Haifa is an hour from Tel Aviv by train. The city is hilly - the Carmelit, buses and taxis spare your knees. Fridays are quiet in Jewish areas but the Wadi and German Colony stay lively. Haifa makes a smart base for the north: Acre, Nazareth and the Galilee are all under an hour away.