Jerusalem Travel Blog

The Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem today lies above the upper city of Jerusalem during Temple times–stop by the Wohl Archaeological Museum to see the remains of some of the beautiful mansions of the wealthy and upper class Jerusalemites of the Herodian period. Ancient synagogues are...

Israelis are known as sabras–after the yellowish/green fruit of a cactus bush that’s prickly on the outside but soft and sweet inside.  So while you may encounter brusque Israelis on your travels through the Holy Land, it’s worth spending a little time trying to get to know the locals...

There’s a lot to take in in Jerusalem, and whether you’re a casual traveler who’s come to see the sights; a pilgrim focused on experiencing the city where two of the world’s major religions were born or someone who wants to understand more about this city that’s always in...

Known in English as Damascus Gate, in Hebrew as Shaar Shechem–Nablus Gate and in Arabic as Bab el Amud -Gate of the Pillar, after the Roman-era pillars there, Damascus Gate is the most decorative of  the seven existing gates into Jerusalem’s Old City. The stone work of Damascus Gate was...

Jerusalem is not exactly lacking in famous buildings.  From the ancient to the ultra-modern, Israel’s capital is one of the most fascinating cities in the world for structures of every kind. Two of the iconic buildings in the Old City that appear on every official photo and in every tourist’s...

Like many capital cities, Jerusalem offers up a plethora of free things to do. You’ve spent enough money getting here and paying for a hotel or an apartment in the holy city — you don’t need to lay out hundreds more dollars, pounds, or shekel to enjoy everything Jerusalem has to offer. Old...

Part of the hoopla associated with Yom Ha’atzmaut–Israel Independence Day is a series of air displays. Since Israel is a tiny country: Map drawn to scale: the entire State of Israel fits neatly inside Lake Michigan it doesn’t take too long for jets to fly over the entire area, so it...

More than 50,000 Jews came to the Western Wall for the Blessing of the Priests last Thursday. Tens of thousands of Christians mobbed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Via Dolorosa during Easter celebrations — but now the festivities are drawing to a close, as the Passover holiday ends on...

Passover and Holy Week are among the busiest and most exciting times of the year in Jerusalem. The convergence of pilgrims descending on the Holy City from every corner of the world and the multitude of Christian and Jewish rituals observed during the coming week can be overwhelming — but they...

Jerusalem definitely has its own rhythm–as a city that’s home to three of the world’s major religions, there are certain times of day, days of the week, seasons of the year when you’ll either want to make a point of visiting certain sites in the city, or, you’ll want to...