Nice surroundings, dull town (Tiberias (Israel))

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Tiberias (Israel)
Date:	26/12/08 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful Galilee and Golan near by

Disadvantages: Just a resort

Tiberias is a city built on the west side of the Sea of Galilee, the Sea of Galilee is in the south west of Galilee.

It was a town that was built in AD20 by the son of the infamous King Herod the Great! Traditionally Jews would not settle there as it was seen as unclean due to the fact a cemetery existed there. Over the years though it became a mixed city, that was until the British rule in the 1900's when it was part of Palestine - the Arabs and Jews began taking an eye for an eye which culminated in all out war in 1948 and the 49% Arab population being evacuated by the British military in 1949.

Today it is very much a Jewish city, although a short desert like landscape from the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee and the town of Bet She'an is all that seperates Tiberias and the West Bank. The old city does not stand and although there are a few nice streets with cafes on, there is very little in the way apart from a few high-rise hotels and it has quite a resort feel to it.

The Sea of Galilee itself is beautiful, with the Golan Heights on one side and Galilee on the other, it acts as the source of water for most Israelis and attracts tourists in droves due to being the location where Jesus was said to have walked on water, at the point where teh Jordan River runs in to the Sea of Galilee (now often called Lake Kinneret or Lake Tiberias), also thought to tbe the place where Jesus fed the 5000 and the northern shore town of Cana where he was said to have turned water into wine.

Tiberias itself though is just hotels and I think it would be much nicer to stay in a small village in Galilee or Golan Heights, as I did - if you have a car, the roads are good - if not, hitchhiking is very easy.

Summary: Wonderful surroundings