Tel Aviv – Jaffa and Jerusalem – Short trip to Israel

Tel Aviv is booming. The city is considered a trendy travel destination and, despite its politically sensitive status, has a steadily growing popularity of tourists from all over the world. The friend had the opportunity to get to know Tel Aviv and Jerusalem during a three-day press trip. Three intense days and a window of time that only allows you to scratch the surface with the concentrated load of history and events. In this travelogue he shows you his impressions of Israel.

Explore Tel Aviv for a day

The different neighborhoods and architectural styles in Tel Aviv tell a lot about the history of the city’s origins. The oldest structures can be found in the former port city of Jaffa. In Tel Aviv’s founding district of Neve Tzedek, different architectural styles are mixed. This is where dilapidated meets hip, artists’ cafés meet chic boutiques and nonchalance meets bustle. Young Jewish architects brought the Bauhaus style with them from Germany and shaped streets with it. The approximately 4,000 buildings built in this style have been awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO. Another neighbourhood in the centre with German origins is Sarona, which originated from a Templar settlement in the 19th century.

City walking tour starting in Jaffa

After breakfast, we drive to Jaffa, which has developed from an important port city into an artists’ quarter in earlier times. It is fun to discover the different alleys and stroll along the harbor. The most beautiful panoramic view of Tel Aviv can be found at Abrasha Park.

Rothschild-boulevard (Sderot Rothschild)

Rothschild Boulevard is one of the most important streets in Tel Aviv. On the one hand, the Independence Hall is located there and, on the other hand, numerous start-ups have settled in this area.

Neve Tzedek

In the current trendy district of Tel Aviv, there are countless orange trees. The streets of Neve Tzedek are inviting, and the best place to do this is to take a leisurely stroll along the alleys and be inspired by the surroundings.

Sarona

Sarona is an ancient neighbourhood founded by colonists in the 19th century. Today, Sarona presents itself to us chic and dressed up. What is exciting here is the interplay of the old architecture with generous trees and the modern high-rise buildings in the neighborhood.

Habima Square

When strolling through the beautifully designed Habima Square in front of the Opera House, the relaxed and cheerful atmosphere immediately catches your eye. Children play together and adults chat in the shade.

Art museum

The city walk takes me to the edgy Tel Aviv Museum of Art in the late afternoon. Definitely an eye-catcher. Unfortunately, there is only enough time for a short tour of the building and not for a visit to the exhibition.

• 

• 

Whether in the morning or in the evening, what you should not miss in Tel Aviv is to feel the pulse of the city. Be it on roof terraces with impressive views over the city or on the extensive beach promenades, where there is always something going on.

• 

• 

Restaurant tips for Tel Aviv

Anita – The Mother of Ice Cream

Gelateria Anita is ubiquitous in Tel Aviv. In the branch in Neve Tzedek, frozen yogurt is available in addition to the cream ice creams.

Restaurant Yulia

Our first evening in Tel Aviv is spent at the Yulia restaurant, which serves us a nice selection of delicious, local appetizers. My favorite: the deep-fried cauliflower.

For the main course, I opt for chraime, which is a typical Israeli dish. It consists of fish in a slightly spicy tomato sauce.

Finally, there are roses, pana cotta and delicious ice cream balls with coconut chips.

Kitchen Market

The culinary highlight of the three days in Israel is a visit to the Kitchen Market. The restaurant is located at Tel Aviv’s Old Port, just above the fish market.

The appetizers with goat cheese, salmon, tomatoes, eggs and aubergines are simply fantastic. For the main course, you can choose from gnocchi, sirloin, chicken, salmon or Israeli pizza. The brownies and cheesecake on the dessert menu are also not to be sneezed at.

Restaurant Abrage

Another recommendation is the Abrage restaurant, which is located above the port in Jaffa. As an appetizer we try the scampi as well as fried squid with a light yoghurt sauce. The long-cooked beef as part of the main course tastes amazing.

Day Trip to Jerusalem

Depending on your focus, a three-day short trip to Israel can be worth a day trip to historic Jerusalem in addition to the city tour of Tel Aviv. There are regular bus services between the two cities and the journey takes a good hour to 1.5 hours (depending on traffic and time of day). For just over a year now, there has also been a faster train connection, connecting the two cities in less than thirty minutes.

Mahane Yehuda Market

On the morning of our visit to Jerusalem, we let ourselves drift through the market, which offers some local specialties in addition to the “typical” market products.

Before passing through the gates of the old town, we get an overview of the city from the Mount of Olives, whose silhouette is strongly influenced by the golden dome of the Dome of the Rock.

On the way to the City Gate of the Lion, which is one of the seven gates of Jerusalem, we stop at the Church of All Nations. The historical highlight here is the Garden of Gethsemane. The olive trees in the garden are among the oldest in the world.

View of the rooftops of the old town Austrian Hospice

In the late afternoon we reach the Austrian Hospice in Jerusalem, which offers a great viewing platform next to a Viennese café. The roof is open from 10:00 to 18:00 and a ticket costs 5 Scheckel.

Western Wall

After a short security check with the question why I have a bellows (for the camera sensor) with me, we reach the Wailing Wall directly for the start of the Sabbath on Friday evening. Accordingly, the space in front of the wall is already filled and more and more people are striving past us to the wall. While the women visit the wall alone and more or less unsupervised, the rituals for the men are a lot stricter and they pray in groups of 10. The wishes for the Western Wall are written before sunset on Friday, as work is prohibited during the Sabbath.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

We end our stay in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where visitors crowd close together. Nevertheless, it is an impressive place that is definitely worth visiting.

Practical tips for a trip to Israel

• In Israel, the currency shekel is used. One Scheckel has a value of CHF 0.27 (March 2019).
• At most ATMs, money can be withdrawn without any problems with a Maestro card (activate the country beforehand in e-banking or via bank).
• Hotel tip: We stayed at the Boutique Hotel Tal by the Beach, which – as the name suggests – is located near the beach to Metsitsim Beach.
• For flights to Israel, you can expect an additional question at boarding and usually you have to enter the code for the luggage lock. Aircraft of the Israeli airline EL AL will also be escorted to the runway at Zurich Airport by armoured police vehicles as standard.
• To enter Israel, Swiss citizens need a passport that is valid for six months after the date of travel. Upon entry, you will receive an entry card, which must be kept until you leave the country.

Note: Kuoni invited me to this press trip. All impressions and opinions are, as always, ours.