Things to see and do North Coast

The Hospitaller Order, located in Jerusalem during the First Crusade (1099-1187), transferred its headquarters to St. John of Acre during the Second Crusade (1191-1291). The Hospitallers, initially devoted to welcoming and caring for pilgrims to the Holy Land, were in charge of running hospitals in Jerusalem and Acre. They built an important site there comprising vast underground rooms and numerous rooms spread over four wings around a central courtyard. This headquarters was built from 1149 (the date of the first writings concerning the establishment of a cathedral) and destroyed in 1291 by the Mamelukes. When Ahmed al-Jazzar, the Ottoman governor of St. John of Acre, decided to build a citadel and palace there, he had the ruins of the Hospitaller buildings filled in with earth. Part of the building served as a palace for the pasha, and another as a prison where criminals and political opponents were locked up. Much later, during the English Mandate, this part of the palace continued to be used as a prison. The visit includes images and animations projected on the walls and floor, lighting and display cases highlighting the exhibits and explanatory panels (in Hebrew and English). However, it is advisable to rent an audioguide. It should also be noted that almost the entire route has been made accessible to wheelchairs. Here are some of the most remarkable rooms:

The main courtyard. It is an open courtyard with an area of 1,200 m² in which there are two wells. It is surrounded by a series of arches supporting the stairs and a corridor leading to the bedrooms on the second floor.

The Hall of Columns. This is the most impressive part of the complex. The 10-metre high hall is composed of a system of eight cross vaults with ribbed vaults rising to a height of 10 metres and supported by three round stone pillars with a diameter of 3 metres. It was used as a dining room by the Hospitallers.

The sugar amphora room. The many utensils discovered in this room are a reminder that sugar production was one of the main activities of the Crusaders, and one of their most important sources of income.

The northwest tower and the sewer system. Used as a toilet wing, the sewage disposal system is one of the most beautiful examples discovered to date.

As far as remains are concerned, the main points of interest are the port (with the city's fortifications and a number of relics from different eras, including that of the Crusaders), the hippodrome and the Roman amphitheatre. In the tourist area (the old port), "Time Travel" is a multimedia experience consisting of several films that give you a better understanding of Caesarea's evolution. In the ^20th century, Baron de Rothschild was responsible for the complete restoration of the site. The Caesarea Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Development Corporation (CDC) now manages the site and the surrounding area. The entrance ticket is valid not only for the national park, which houses the archaeological site, but also for some of the attractions in the tourist zone.

The Roman amphitheatre stands at the southern end of the national park and was built by the emperor Vespasian. King Herod later enlarged it, before it was destroyed in the ^3rd century. People from all walks of life came here to watch dramas and comedies. The structure of the theater follows classical Roman models: a semicircle, blocks of cavea (seats) separated by vomitoria (entrances and exits), the arena and orchestra (stage area) which, in Caesarea, had a high and impressive scaenae frons (backdrop), and finally underground rooms, a kind of backstage area for the actors. Today, some of the original seats can still be admired, along with marble decorations dating from the ^2nd c. Nothing remains of the scaenae frons.

Herod's palace. Admire the remains of an inner courtyard in the guest wing of the magnificent palace of Herod (who would never have stayed in Caesarea himself!). The palace had two guest floors and a central section built at the western end of this courtyard, on a sort of peninsula jutting out into the sea. The remains of this fabulous palace are now partly underwater. Some scholars maintain that the palace did not date from Herod's time, as it was too close to the city's major public buildings (the theater and the hippodrome): Herod, a very suspicious king, would not have built his private palace nearby. In any case, over the years, the palace fell into ruin, and very little remains. The remains of a swimming pool can still be seen, probably supplied with fresh water by the city's aqueducts. A mosaic floor has also been discovered next to the pool.

A cable car lets you get down to the caves with a breathtaking view of the reefs and the sea. Take advantage of it, the journey is barely 1 min… At the bottom of the cliff, a tunnel, built in 1968, gives access to cavities dug in limestone by marine erosion. It is a small maze: 200 m of underground galleries, perfectly practicable, where the sea and. Sometimes, corridors lead to gaping holes where, winter, large waves flow without warning. Near the tunnel dug for the crossing of the railway to Lebanon, a "sound and light" projection is regularly distributed and traced the historic history of the sites. The film lasts 15 minutes and is subtitled in several languages. On Saturdays and days of celebration, you can take a 40-minute walk on a small train along the coast.

" La petite Suisse "is part of Carmel National Park and is located west of the road between Haifa and Oussafia, near Haifa University. One part houses the Hai Bar Nature Reserve. You can admire splendid cliffs and ravines that plunge into a diverse Mediterranean forest, one of the most beautiful in the region. From the rest areas, it is possible to access very pleasant trails that cross wooded areas.

This national park, which occupies almost the entire Carmel Forest, is one of Israel's largest. It is accessible via Haifa University (to the north), Route No. 4 (to the west, near Atlit), Moshav Elyakim (to the south) and Nesher (to the northeast). It is home to splendid Mediterranean vegetation and wildlife. Activities include hiking along the many streams that criss-cross the Carmel, the Hai-Bar nature reserve and wilderness camping.

The tunnel that you can visit here was built for the periods Roman and Byzantine. It belongs to a vast system of water that fed Caesarea. From its source (Ein Tzabarin Springs) the system covered 23 km. You can venture in a restored part of this tunnel (280 metres) where water however rises up to 50 inches. A guide will accompany you but you must have a lamp, shoes and suitable clothing replacement. Before walk, a film about ten minutes in English is presented.