Visiting Israel: Haifa

Located along the northern shores of Israel lies the mountainous city of Haifa. Often compared to San Francisco, the city is built on the side of a mountain and enjoys the warm breezes coming off the Mediterranean Sea.

The city of Haifa is quite literally divided into three definitive sections as you make your way up the side of the mountain. At the bottom lies the industrial area which includes Israel’s most important port. In the middle is the business district of Hadar where most of the city’s businesses are located, as well as the Haifa Museum of Contemporary Art. At the top of the mountain is the Carmel district where you will find most of the residential neighborhoods, hotels, restaurants, and several important cultural centers.

Haifa is a unique city in Israel because it has successfully managed to embrace both the Jewish and Arabic populations as they work side-by-side peacefully, for the most part, even in the midst of all of the other surrounding strife between these two cultures.

There is no better city than Haifa to start your visit to Israel. With its beautiful beaches along the lower sections of town, its wealth of culture in the middle, and its panoramic views at the highest sections of the mountain, there is something for everyone here.

Getting around the city can be challenging due to its many steep inclines and curving streets up the mountain, but one of the best ways to do this is on the Carmelit Subway. This unique subway system travels straight up the mountain from the Jaffa Road terminal at the bottom all the way up to the Carmel Center at the top. The route is so steep at this last stop that the floor of the subway car actually turns into an escalator-like stairway, so don’t be alarmed.