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Ramat HaNadiv Guided Tour

On your arrival at Ramat Hanadiv, you will be met by a specially-trained guide. The tour begins at the Visitors Pavilion with a screening of the film “Beyond the Gardens”. It describes the history of the Rothschild family; the crucial role played by the ‘father of the Yishuv’, Baron Edmond de Rothschild, in establishing the modern Jewish settlement in the land of Israel; and the range of activities that take place today in the Memorial Gardens and the Nature Park surrounding them.
After the film, the tour moves on to the exquisitely designed and maintained Memorial Gardens, stretching across 70 dunams (about 17 acres) and filled with expansive lawns, venerable trees, ornamental plants, and fragrant herbs. The gardens are characterized by a disciplined, European style combined with unassuming, native Mediterranean plants ‒ a reflection of Baron Edmond de Rothschild’s heritage of modesty and respect.

At the heart of the gardens lies the tomb of the Baron and his wife Ada, where you can pay your respects to the ‘father of the Yishuv’, the ‘well-known Benefactor’.
The tour lasts about 1 1/2 hours. Suitable for groups of 40 or less.

Caesarea, Zichron, and Haifa Tour

This is a one-day private tour to Zichron Yaakov, Caesarea and Haifa. With a personal guide you will tour the highlights of these sights, representing ancient, modern and multicultural Israel. Tour the ruins in Caesarea and visit the famous amphiteater. Then, journey to Zichron Yaakov, one of Israel’s first settlements and learn about the Jewish pioneers whilst enjoying the quaint atmosphere. Visit the Carmel winery during your Zichron Yaakov private tour before journeying north to Haifa. Here you will enjoy panoramic views over the city where Jews, Muslim, Christian and Bahai peacefully coexist. For a final stop on your private tour, stop at the Druze village Dalit-el-Carmel, it’s a real feast for the senses. Your personal guide will be able to tailor the day to your preferences. This is your private tour so customize it and enjoy it!

During the tour we will stop at the following sites: Bahai Gardens in Haifa, Beit NILI, Caesarea National Park, Daliat-el-Carmel, German Colony in Haifa, Zichron Yaakov Wineries, and Muhraka Monastery in Haifa

The private tour starts by driving along the coast road to Caesarea. Made famous by Herod, he built a Roman City in honor of Caesar Augustus. On your private tour you will explore the ancient ruins with your personal guide, explaining the history surrounding the aqueducts, homes, stores, hippodrome, Herod’s palace, temples, warehouses and the ancient port. View the crusader fortress, the Ottoman mosque and the Roman amphitheater, which still functions today.
You will continue your private tour to Zichron Yaakov, at the southern end of the Carmel Mountain range. Founded in 1882, by Baron Rothschild, it’s one of Israel’s earliest settlements. There are cottages with inner courtyards designed with a European influence. The main thoroughfare of Zichron Yaakov is a cobbled street with quaint cafes and boutique shops. Your Zichron Yaakov private tour will take you to Beit Nili, a base for a spy ring during World War I. Next, a visit to the Ohel Yaakov Synagogue, dating back to 1886. Finally, stop for wine tasting at The Carmel Winery, established in 1885 as Israel’s first winery. This is your Zichron Yaakov custom tour, so you decide the order and the pace.

Heading north to Haifa, enjoy the immaculate Baha’i Gardens and take in the panoramic view across Haifa bay. On your private tour, visit the German Templar settlement, then head up to the Muhraka Monastery which sits on the highest point of the Carmel Mountain range. It is believed that the Prophet Elijah took refuge here during the Crusader era. Enjoy some wonderful views of the valley below.On the return journey, stop at the Druze village, Dalit-el-carmel. This is a feast for the senses with a vibrant marketplace packed with delicious food and fresh aromas. Have your personal guide explain the traditional Druze dress and religious beliefs.

Dor, Ein Hod, Druze villages and Zichron Yaakov

Drive north along the Sharon Coast and the Carmel Coast to Dor Nachsholim beach, walk along this lovely sandy beach to Tel Dor. Visit this archeological site lying on a small headland at the north side of a protected inlet, it is identified with Biblical Dor, and with Dor/Dora of Greek and Roman origins. The documented history of the site begins in the Late Bronze Age (though the town itself was founded in the Middle Bronze Age, c. 2000 BCE), and ends in the Crusader period.

We proceed further north along the Carmel beach to Ein Hod, the Artists Village overlooking the fort of Atlit. Ein Hod is a charming, picturesque artists’ village set in the heart of the Carmel Forest, enjoy a walking tour of the village and visit the central gallery.

Travel to Mt.Carmel, visit the Druze villages of Ussefia and Daliat El Carmel where we take a close look at the Druze community, one of the ethnic religious minorities that live in harmony in Israel. Our next stop is the Muchraka-The Horn of the Carmel, we stop to visit the Carmelite Monastery and enjoy the breathtaking view of the Jezreel Valley and the Lower Galilee.

Driving back to our point of departure we make a stop at the charming town of Zichron Yaakov, This picturesque Moshava semi-cooperative farming community built at the tip of the Carmel mountain range is the first moshava ever built in Israel and is a main tourism and vacation site in this region. We stroll along Ha-Meyasdim Street in the town center, which has become a very popular pedestrian mall and view the famous Carmel Winery.

Ramat HaNadiv

At the southern end of Mount Carmel, between Zikhron Ya’akov and Binyamina, lies Ramat Hanadiv – Gardens and Nature Park – over an area of about 450 hectares, dedicated to the memory of Baron Edmond de Rothschild. At the heart of the Memorial Gardens buried the Baron and his wife. The contrast between the meticulous Gardens and the Mediterranean Nature Park around them, is one of the wonderers of Ramat Handiv.

Far beyond its value as a geographical site, Ramat Hanadiv plays a leading role in the management of natural and cultural resources based on sustainable interactions between man, nature and the environment, and encourages understanding and appreciation of this ideal. To fulfil this mission, we invest great effort in innovative management, scientific research, environmental education, and inherent link between humanity and the environment, particularly as it concerns communities.

The Memorial Gardens invite the guests into a place of rare tranquility. Visitors may stroll the pathways among the exquisitely landscaped gardens and breathe their fragrance throughout the year. A gracious combination of European formality and Mediterranean-style vegetation, the Gardens reflect the Baron de Rothschild’s legacy of dignity and modesty. Along the paths visitors can view the Nature Park and its characteristic Mediterranean scenery.

You are invited to enjoy the rich range of activities that take place in Ramat Hanadiv: to find out the story of “The known Benefactor”‘, to stroll among the flowers in the Memorial Gardens; or to take a walk out to the Nature Park, where the past reflected in the archeological sites, the present shown in the flora and fauna, and the future realize according to the vision of Ramat Hanadiv

Ramat Hanadiv is a living memorial to Baron Edmond de Rothschild, operating for the benefit of the Israeli public as a whole and for generations to come.Ramat Hanadiv plays a leading role in the management of natural and cultural resources based on sustainable interactions between man, nature and the environment, and encourages understanding and appreciation of this ideal.

Yitzar Hirschfeld has carried out archaeological digs in Ramat Hanadiv over a period of 14 years. The excavations at Horvat ‘Aqav and Horvat Eleq, has unearthed remains from three periods: a small Phoenician shrine, a Herodian estate manor and a Byzantine period villa. It has been hypothesized that there was a spread of malarial mosquitoes in Ramat Hanadiv during the late Byzantine period.

Beit Aaronsohn – Nili Museum

Nili is an acronym standing for “Netzach Israel Lo Yishaker.” The underground Nili network was established in 1915 and operated in Eretz Israel during WWI. Its objectives were: to assist the British effort to conquer Eretz Israel by gathering information; to support the Jewish Yishuv in Eretz Israel in a time of famine and disease; to draw world attention to what was happening in Eretz Israel; and to fulfill the dream of establishing a Jewish State in Eretz Israel.

Nili was founded and led by agronomist Aaron Aaronsohn from Zikhron Ya’akov, joined by his sister Sarah and brother Alexander, as well as Avshalom Feinberg from Hadera, brothers Na’aman and Eitan Belkind from Rishon LeZion, Yosef Lishansky from Metula and dozens of others. The organization operated from Athlit, where Aaron’s Agricultural Experiment Station was located. British forces sailed regularly between Egypt and Athlit – the British warship Managam frequently came ashore at Athlit to collect the information gathered by Nili members. Information was also passed on via homing pigeon.

In the spring of 1917 rumors about the espionage organization circulated around the Yishuv. A number of events led to the exposure of the organization in September 1917: a British coin was found in the market in Ramleh, a homing pigeon failed to complete its mission and landed in the governor’s yard in Caesarea and Na’aman Belkind was arrested by Turkish authorities.

Following these events, the Turks began a campaign of threats and terror against the Jewish Yishuv in order to apprehend Nili members. Many were in fact caught and tortured. Sarah Aaronsohn committed suicide after undergoing severe torture. Na’aman Belkind and Yosef Lishansky were executed in Damascus. The bravery and heroism of the men and women of Nili helped the British enter Eretz Israel and end the Ottoman rule.

The First Aliyah Museum

Our museum is located in what was known as the “Administrative Building” built in 1894 by the Baron’s delegates and considered to be the largest and most magnificent in the Land of Israel at the time. It served as a managerial center for all the colonies in the area. The building had originally two tall stories, with a balcony overlooking the street. On the second floor was a magnificent hall, paved with white and black marble.

In 1903 the momentous national conference called the “First Convention” was organised here. This was the first time in the history of the renewed Yishuv in Eretz Yisrael that all of its advocates gathered to discuss the issues of Zionism. Menachem Ussishkin, a representative of Russian Zionism, came to Palestine to organize the convention just as the Sixth Zionist Congress was arranged in Basel, Switzerland, known as the “Uganda Congress”. At the end of that week, Elul 5663, school and kindergarten teachers stayed behind to establish the Hebrew Teachers’ Union of the Land of Israel. These gatherings were the first in which women were granted the right to vote.

During WWI, the Ottoman authorities turned the building into a military hospital and mosque. When they left the country, the building returned to use as a form of congressional building and later as the Zichron Yaakov elementary school. Between then and its conversion to a museum it was a community center and the local municipality offices. In 1988, the building was declared a “national heritage site” and its renovation took place in the years 1990-1999.

About 25 colonies can be identified according to common consensus as having been founded in the first years of aliyah. Some of them became large cities in Israel (Rishon Lezion, Petah Tikva, Rehovot, Hadera). Some have remained small rural towns to this day (Mazkeret Batya, Rosh Pina, Zichron Yaakov, Bat Shlomo) and some failed and have since been abandoned (Mahanayim, Ein Ganim, and the colonies in the Horan, the area not included in the State of Israel).
The land on which the colonies were built was partially bought with the money of the immigrants themselves, but the most considerable finances were provided by Baron Rothschild.

Zichron Yaakov Pedestrian Mall

The Zichron Yaakov Pedestrian Mall, also known as Midrahov, is a cobblestoned street lined with historical structures, outdoor cafes, restaurants, clothing and antique shops, as well as art shops and galleries. Though the street is not long, you will find several nice spots to shop and relax.

This Midrahov is the original street of Zichron Yaakov, and many of the houses are of great historic value and contain plaques on the outside the tell the stories of their original use. At the end of the street is the First Aliyah Museum which tells the fascinating story of the pioneers from Europe who established this town over a hundred years ago.

Amphorae Winery

Amphora Winery was founded in 2000 by Guy Rilov and winemaker Gil Schatzberg when the wine production was initially done in a shed on an indoor farm. It was only a few years ago that he moved to an impressive and spacious stone structure erected in the area of the entrance to the farm.

Since its establishment, the winery has undergone a process of constant renovations and improvement, as well as several ownership changes. Since 2016, winemaker Maayan Koshitsky has run the winery and Dr. Yuval Samuel joined during this time as an active partner in the winery and has since served as the winery’s new CEO.

Amphora Winery and its Indoor Farms maintain ecological reciprocity with the environment and operate in accordance with the values of belonging to the environment, minimal intervention and prevention of environmental pollution. The winery and farm are pioneers in the use of ecological processes currently applied in wine production and their involvement in energy saving and reduction of environmental pollution measures will increase in the future.

A solar energy system provides most of the winery’s electricity consumption (except during the peak period, at harvest time). In the future, an ecological cooling system will also be added to the system, based on the temperature differences between the ground and a depth of about one hundred meters. This move is expected to save about 50% of the energy consumption currently required for the winery’s cooling systems.

The Efendi Hotel

The Efendi Hotel is one of the cultural and magnificent assets of the city of Acre. Between the lights of the lighthouse on the city walls, and the picturesque alleys of the Old City of Acre, lies one of the most fascinating, pampering and special hotels in the world. The Efendi Hotel is a classic and elegant boutique hotel located in two historical buildings that represent the glorious period of Acre, beginning in the Byzantine period.

The hotel houses 12 ornate rooms, some of which contain painted ceilings and decorated with ornaments unique to the Ottoman period. Some of the rooms face the sea and others look out over the alleys of the Old City.

Accommodation at the hotel includes a personally served local breakfast. A peaceful terrace and a cellar from the Crusader period, housing a stylish wine bar, a 400-year-old authentic Turkish Hamam, a Spa for couples, and a rooftop with a view to the Galilee Hills and the Mediterranean, from Rosh Hanikra all the way to Mount Carmel.

For the purpose of the construction of the hotel extending over an area of 1350 m², two antique and stone buildings, formerly large homes of rich merchant families from Acre, were leased and interconnected. The “Shukri Building”, known by its name “The Palace”, and “Afifi House”, known also as the WIZO House, were combined in the process, to buildings, past and present, a harmonic merge.

The stately building houses 12 rooms, each of which presents its own character and unique style. The ceilings in some of the room are painted and decorated with unique ornaments from the Ottoman period, Reconstructed by restoration specialists, and Italian artists, who had been brought especially from Venice. In some of the rooms wooden ceilings have been preserved at a height of 6 m. The furniture and accessories in the rooms are the result of impressive detailed collection, great attention, and much love for each piece of furniture, decoration and accessory present in the room. Each room is unique in style and character, and each of room entails different emotions. In each of the rooms you will find the best accessories and modern indulgence without giving up the enchanting authenticity and the special atmosphere.

Located on each level are four guestrooms, between the rooms there is a common living room with inviting sitting areas. On the large terrace in the northern part of the hotel you may enjoy a view over the Mediterranean, relax and rest in one of the recumbence areas, where you can pamper yourself.

The hotel offers an authentic, 400-year-old Turkish Hamam, and a spa with a variety of professional treatments.

The hotel is constructed layer by layer. Its cellar stems from the Crusader period and is 900 years old. It contains the remains of a 1500-year-old building from the Byzantine period in which you will find today a high-quality wine bar, with the choice of exquisite Israeli wines in an atmosphere filled with mystery and history. Part of the dining room remains from the late Islamic period, when it served as a private church.

Akotika

The old city of Akko captivated us with its charm. The story of the city, which started thousands of years ago. A peninsula enclosed by ancient walls and the blue sea surrounding it and within, an endless range of colors, smells and tastes: the picturesque fishermen’s port, an authentic market, superb chef restaurants all serving dishes made from the local fish and produce.

We, Tamar and Meir, have found life to be enthralling, authentic and colorful in Akko. A tapestry of old and new, East and West, Land and Sea. We fell in love with this magical city and we invite you to stay with us for a different experience. As you wander through the alleys and stay in our suites, you’ll be joining all those who inhabited Akko before you: Crusaders, Mamelukes, Ottomans, Jews, Christians, Muslims and Bahais, members of all religions and faiths who have lived in Akko throughout history.
Get lost in the allies, sip bitter coffee in one of the local cafés, smoke a hookah at Han A-Shwarda, eat Humus, pamper yourselves at the Turkish Bath, eat at one of the fine restaurants the old city hosts, walk along the sea at sunset and visit the unique archeological sites. And when you are ready for a break, relax in your indulging suite or on the Roof-Top-Terrace, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Whether you are a couple on a romantic retreat, a family, a small group or on a business trip, we have an unforgettable place to offer you. Leave you high heels at home, because Akko like so many old cities is abundant with stairs and cobblestone allies. Due to the constrictions of preservation, most of our suites and our Roof-Top-Terrace are accessible only by stairs.
The suites are scattered along the picturesque allies of the old city, and still just a short walking distance for one another. The Old City of Akko is so small that everything is close by. A short walk will lead you to the main building, which houses the Reception, Lobby and the Roof-Terrace, where breakfast is served daily. A great spot to relax with the exquisite view of the Mediterranean Sea and the old city walls.

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