Jerusalem- Tour the City of Gold with VisitIsrael.com

Get free tourist tips about Jerusalem - the sacred, ancient Israeli city - at VisitIsrael.com. On our travelling site you'll find all the information you need regarding this city's sites, attractions and historical monuments and can book plane tickets, hotels and cars online. Now you can travel to this fascinating city with ease and explore its many cultural and religious wonders.

Jerusalem is the modern capital of the State of Israel and the country`s biggest city. The City is sacred to all three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is a fascinatingly unique place whereas the first century mixes with the twenty-first century, each pushes around for legitimacy and space and where picturesque ancient neighborhoods nestle against shining office towers and high-rise residences.

Districts

Jerusalem is divided up into a few districts. The Old City and its Walls make a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This tiny old & truly spectacular city is where many holy sites for Jews, Christians and Muslims are situated.

Western Jerusalem is being the Jewish-Israeli part of Jerusalem and also known as New Jerusalem. This is the modern commercial center of the city, having become the focus for growth in the capital from the time of Israel's independence in 1948 to the reunification of the city after the Six Day War in 1967.

East Jerusalem is the home to the majority of Jerusalem's Arab population.

Chareidi Jerusalem is the part of Jerusalem inhabited mainly by ultra-Orthodox Jewish people.

Emek Refa'im is a western neighborhood south-east of the city center. It's a great place to eat as well as to have coffee.

Ein Kerem is a more secluded neighborhood, located in West Jerusalem and maintains rural atmosphere. It is surrounded by charming hills dotted with olive and cypress trees and where artists and sculptors chose to have their homes and galleries. Quite a few churches are located on the site and believed to be John the Baptist's place of birth.

Talpiot is a largely commercial and industrial neighborhood in the southern part Western Jerusalem.

Places of Interest

There are many sites in Jerusalem that are worth a visit - historical buildings, religious centers and cultural monuments. You can tour the city for days and still have much left to see, but some locations are a real Must and we named just a few of them below.

The Walls Promenade

Promenade along the walls of the Old City, from which there is a great sight of large ports of the Old City and of western Jerusalem. The promenade starts in at the Tower of David and come to its end at the Jewish Quarter or at the Kotel.

The Tower of David

Fortress inside the Old City's walls which is a mixture of towers enclosed by a wall and a moat. Inside the patio of the stronghold there's an archaeological park which contains ancient relics. The Tower of David is located within the walls of the stronghold. Don't miss the special night show on the story of Jerusalem throughout the generations which takes place in the evenings in the museum's patio.

The City of David Archaeological Garden

The City of David, where it is believed King David had founded the city of Jerusalem around 1000 B.C.E., is a main archaeological excavation site. In the excavation area, which is open to visitors, you can explore the foundations of a terraced stone building from the Jebusite period (11th-12th centuries BCE), as well as the remains of a residential quarter, that was destroyed during the destruction of the First Temple and the remains of the city wall and its towers.

The Western Wall

Ha-Kotel, The Western Wall or Waling Wall as it used to be called is the holiest site for the Jewish people after the Temple Mount. It is a surviving section of the wall surrounding the Temple Mount at the end of the Second Temple period. Nowadays, it is a representation of yearning for Jerusalem and serves as a place of worship. The visitors often place notes in the Kotel with requests and prayers.

Latrun Monastery

The monastery of the Silent Monks at Latrun used to serve as a way station for pilgrims from Jaffa to Jerusalem during the 19th century. After being sold to the Order of Saint Benedict, the monastery was built in 1890 and until 1960 its members vowed to refrain from idle talk and to uphold silence except during prayer. A big church and living quarters sit on the monastery grounds with beautiful garden and yard.

Yad Vashem

Situated on Jerusalem's Mount of Remembrance, Yad Vashem has built to commemorate the Holocaust and its victims. The 45-acre campus includes indoor museums, outdoor monuments, memorials, gardens, sculptures and world-class research and education centers. The Holocaust History Museum tells the story of the Holocaust from a personal Jewish perspective, Including artifacts and testimonies.

The Israel Museum

The main museum in Israel which includes an Art Wing, Shrine of the Book, Youth Wing, Archeology, Judaica and Jewish Ethnography. It also has an art garden, library, archive and auditorium. The Art Wing comprises permanent as well as temporary exhibits of Israeli artists and art from all over the world.

Time Elevator Jerusalem

The Time Elevator Jerusalem takes you to a trip through the rich 3,000 year history of Jerusalem. Multimedia experience tells the history of Jerusalem from King Solomon until the 20th century. Star of "Fiddler on the Roof," Chaim Topol plays the lead character who accompanied by crashing ceilings, splashing water and more leads you on a memorable journey moving through Jerusalem's main historic turning points.