Those who want to celebrate a bright holiday in Israel should rather start preparing for the trip. What cities to visit, what to see and where to go on excursions
Jerusalem old city
In 2015, Easter is celebrated on April 12, while Catholics celebrate April 5, so there will be a lot of tourists at this time, you need to take care of hotels and air tickets in advance.
Ben Gurion International Airport is located halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In Jerusalem (and this is where tourists will come before Easter), it is better to stay in one of the hotels near the Old City. It is divided into 4 quarters - Jewish, Armenian, Christian and Muslim. Each of them has many attractions that can be enumerated for a long time.
Conclusion: Walking around Jerusalem is best with an experienced guide. If you come to the country on your own, you can order an individual excursion, and at once for the whole day. Together with your guide, you should walk to the Wailing Wall - the main shrine of the Jewish people, climb one of the observation platforms to take panoramic pictures of the "Golden City".
And, of course, walk along the Via Dolorosa, along which Christ walked to the place of the crucifixion, and then to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
It should be remembered: believers gather at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the morning on Holy Saturday, when the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire takes place, then late in the evening for the Easter service. At this time, it is very crowded here, so it is better to plan an excursion and a detailed inspection of the temple for another day.
Bethlehem
Outside the Old City in Jerusalem, there is also a lot of interesting things for both pilgrims and ordinary tourists. For example, the Mount of Olives, or the Mount of Olives, which is repeatedly mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. To climb it, you need to take a taxi, and it is easy to go down on foot, visiting significant places along the way: the Garden of Gethsemane, where Christ prayed on the night of his arrest, the Tomb of the Virgin, the Church of the Ascension and the Church of All Nations, the Orthodox Convent and the Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene …
It is not difficult to agree on a trip to Bethlehem - the city where Christ was born. It is located on the territory of the Palestinian Authority, Israelis are not allowed to enter it, so the residents of Bethlehem itself conduct excursions.
Please remember that you should not drive a rented car to Bethlehem. The insurance will not be valid on the territory of the Palestinian Authority.
Nazareth
Nazareth is one of the holy cities of Galilee for Christians. In memory of the miracle of the Annunciation that took place here, a basilica was built, the lower level of which is considered the remains of the dwelling of the Virgin Mary. Not far from the basilica is the Church of Joseph (on the site of his workshop), as well as the Church of the Archangel Gabriel above the source of the Most Holy Theotokos, to which the Virgin Mary came to fetch water.
It should be remembered: today Nazareth is the largest Arab city in Israel, here even the day off is not Saturday, as in the whole country, but Sunday.
Tiberias
From Nazareth, it is easy to get to Tiberias, a quiet resort town on Lake Kinneret. On the way, you can visit the village of Cana of Galilee, where Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine.
Approaching Tiberias, you can stop at the observation deck at zero sea level. From here, a stunning view of the green valley and the Kinneret opens up. In the spring, one of the main centers of attraction is Yardenit, the very place where the Jordan River, in the waters of which Christ was baptized, flows out of the lake.
There are many places near Tiberias that are especially interesting for pilgrims: the monastery of Mary Magdalene, the Mount of Beatitudes (the place of the Sermon on the Mount), Capernaum - the ancient city where Christ performed miracles, the Church of the multiplication of loaves and fish in Tabgha.
It should be remembered: in Tiberias, you can also do health in the balneological resort complex "Khamei-Tiberias", which uses mineral-rich water from thermal springs.
