Side Trips

Wineries in the Hill Country

West of Jerusalem are a number of interesting small wineries. The Latrun Monastery (tel. 08/922-0065) is a gardened enclave founded by Trappist monks in 1890 just where the Judean hills begin to rise from the coastal plain 20km (12 miles) west of Jerusalem. A shop at the entrance gate sells Domain de Latroun wines, liqueurs, and spirits as well as honey and olive oil produced at the monastery. Visitors are welcome to explore the gardens, vineyards, and orchards. It's open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 1pm and 2 to 5pm. From Hwy. 1, the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem Highway, get off at the Latrun interchange. Follow Hwy. 3 briefly in the direction of Ashkelon, and you'll come to the Latrun Monastery, opposite the large Armoured Forces Monument. There is no entrance fee.

The Soreq Winery (tel. 08/934-0542) is a new boutique winery located 40 minutes south of Tel Aviv at Kibbutz Tal Shahar. Opened in 1994, the Soreq Winery produces cabernet sauvignons, chardonnays, and merlots. Call ahead to arrange a private tour of the winery. You can buy wine and cheese at the winery shop, and there is a picnic area on the premises. Open Sunday to Thursday from 10am to 5pm. From Hwy. 1 exit at the Latrun interchange. Take Hwy. 3 south toward Ashkelon for approximately 9km (5 1/2 miles). The winery is located 2km (1 1/4 miles) after the Nachshon interchange. There is no entrance fee.

The Tzora Winery (tel. 02/990-8261) is a boutique winery with a rising reputation for cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, and chardonnay wines. It is located on Kibbutz Tzora in the mountains between Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem, and will arrange private tours if you call ahead. There is a wine and cheese store and picnic area on the premises. Open Sunday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, Friday 9am to 2pm, and Saturday 10am to 5pm. From Hwy. 1 exit at the Beit Shemesh (Sha'ar Hagai) interchange and take Rte. 38 south toward Beit Shemesh. From Rte. 38 (about 8km/5 miles from Hwy. 1) take Rte. 3835 to Kibbutz Tzora. There is no entrance fee.

The Cremesan Winery is run by members of the Italian Salisian monastic order. The beautiful winery can be visited (when security is good) daily at Beit Jalla, near Bethlehem on the West Bank, but until the security situation improves, you can purchase the interesting, Italian-style wines produced at Beit Jalla at the Bet Jimal Monastery (tel. 02/991-7671), inside Israel, near the town of Beit Shemesh. It is open Monday to Saturday 8:30am to 5pm. There are picnic tables overlooking a fine view behind the monastery, where you may visit until dusk. Bet Jimal Monastery is located 2km (1 1/4 miles) south of Beit Shemesh (left turn off Rte. 38).

Kennedy Memorial

Eleven kilometers (7 miles) from downtown Jerusalem, in the same general direction of Hadassah Medical Center, Yad Kennedy is reached by following the winding mountain roads past the Aminadav Moshav. Opened in May 1966, the 18m-high (59-ft.) memorial to Pres. John F. Kennedy is designed in the shape of a cut tree trunk, symbolizing a life cut short. The mountaintop memorial is encircled by 51 columns, each bearing the emblem of a state of the Union, plus the District of Columbia. City bus no. 20 stops quite a distance away. Be prepared to take a cab and have the driver wait.

To the west, just inside the West Bank, is the village of Batir, site of a final stronghold in the last Jewish revolt against the Romans, in A.D. 135, led by Bar Kokhba. The view from the parking lot is breathtaking -- a never-ending succession of mountains and valleys. The monument and adjoining picnic grounds are part of the John F. Kennedy Peace Forest.

Abu Ghosh

In the Israeli-Arab town of Abu Ghosh (biblical Kiriath Jearim), 13km (8 miles) west of Jerusalem, are two sites that can be reached by Egged bus no. 185 or 186 from the Central Bus Station at a cost of NIS 10 ($2.50/£1.25). Confirm with the driver that you want to be let out at Merkaz Abu Ghosh/Abu Ghosh Center. Abu Ghosh is one of the few Arab villages that decided to side with Israel in the 1948 War of Independence. Israelis love to flock to Abu Ghosh on Saturday to enjoy hummus and other Arabic-style foods at the town's numerous restaurants. A number of hummus places call themselves "Abu Shukri"; most are good, but have no connection to the real Abu Shukri in Jerusalem's Old City. On the other hand, Abu Gosh's Lebanese Restaurant is the best of the wall-to-wall dining choices in town, and serves some of the most fabulous lamb in Israel.

Abu Ghosh's great treasure is the 12th-century Crusader Church of the Resurrection, acquired by the French in the late 19th century and now under the guardianship of the Lazarist fathers. Like the Crusader Church of Saint Anne in Jerusalem's Old City, the Church of the Resurrection was designed to create marvelous acoustics for Gregorian chant, but it's less heavily restored and more atmospheric. It is built over an ancient cistern and well that was in use from early Canaanite times. It's open Monday to Wednesday and Friday and Saturday from 8:30 to 11:30am and 2:30 to 5:30pm. The 20th-century Church of Notre Dame of the Ark, built on the site of a Byzantine church, marks the last place the Ark of the Covenant rested before it was brought to Jerusalem by King David. It's open daily from 8:30 to 11:30am and 2:30 to 5:30pm.

Neot Kedumim Biblical Landscape Reserve

The reserve is in the Lod District between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Rte. 443 (tel. 08/977-0770). Neot Kedumim is a kind of living museum of the farming, harvesting, and shepherding techniques of ancient times laid out across 250 hectares (618 acres) of land carefully planted with flora of the biblical period. An explanatory text brings the landscape vividly to life and relates it to accounts in the Old and New Testaments and the Talmud. Guides are expert at explaining references to nature in Judeo-Christian scriptures; you'll find an olive press and a succa (harvesters' shelter), and see how ancient ink was made from a powder composed of resin, ground pomegranates, and oak gallnuts. With an advance reservation, you may be able to join a group of 15 or more for a vegetarian buffet of reconstructed ancient recipes (American food critic Mimi Sheraton found the food delicious). Admission is NIS 40 ($10/£5); last admission 2 hours before closing. Open Sunday to Thursday from 8:30am to sunset and Friday and holiday eves from 8:30am to 1pm. Telephone for driving or bus instructions. Guided tours in English are given Friday at 9:30am; reserve ahead to arrange other times. There are also self-guided tours; trails are wheelchair accessible, and electric carts and wheelchairs are available on advance reservation.

Soreq Stalactite Cave/Avshalom Nature Reserve

Located 20km (12 miles) west of Jerusalem along the road out of Ein Kerem toward Bar Giora (tel. 02/991-1117), this nature reserve, with its unusual, delicate, and varied stalactites, is a favorite excursion for tour groups. Set in the limestone region, the caves are full of incredible formations. The scenery along the road from Ein Kerem to the moshav of Nes Harim, 1.6km (1 mile) from the caves, is by itself worth the pleasant excursion. Admission is NIS 23 ($5.75/£2.90), half-price for children, and includes a lecture with slides and a tour. Hours are Sunday to Thursday from 8:30am to 3:30pm and Friday from 8:30am to noon; no slide show Friday. Direct service is by tour bus only. Egged will take you on a tour to the caves and nearby sights for about NIS 100 ($25/£13).

Mini Israel

This 3-hectare (7 1/2-acre) tourist park is amazing in its scope and detail. It re-creates many of the country's most important landmarks in the form of miniature models built to a scale of 1:25. It's very similar to Holland's famous Madurodam in both tone and technique, and it's just as enjoyable. The park separates Israel into geographic regions and features landmarks from all faiths and cultures. The models are impressive in their detail: The planes at the mock-up of Ben-Gurion Airport actually taxi on runways, and praying pilgrims at the Western Wall sway back and forth. It's a good idea to try to see Mini Israel toward the end of your trip, when you'll be more familiar with many of the sites and landmarks reproduced here. Because it's inadvisable to travel to a number of Israel's most notable sights right now, the park represents your best chance to encounter some of the country's best-known landmarks (though by no means a substitute for an actual visit). Notable re-creations include the Old City of Jerusalem (including the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock), the Baha'i Terrace Gardens at Haifa, and the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. The park is especially amazing at twilight, when the interiors of buildings are lit. The family-friendly park has a restaurant/cafe food court on the premises (you're a captive audience if you're hungry or thirsty, and have come from Jerusalem on Mini Israel's shuttle bus) and a little play area for children. It takes about 2 hours to see everything. Mini Israel is fully accessible to those with disabilities. Because the exhibits are outdoors, avoid coming on a cold, rainy winter day, or in midday summer heat. It's hard to get here without a car (it's about a 30-min. drive), unless you're coming via bus tour, though at press time Mini Israel was offering to arrange a taxi package or morning shuttle (call for current schedules and fees) from Jerusalem. Regular tours to Mini Israel and other nearby sites are operated by Egged Tours (tel. 1-700/70 75 77) on Tuesday and Thursday.

Latrun Junction, off Hwy. 1. tel. 08/921-4121. Admission for adults and children 6 and over NIS 70 ($18/£8.75); children 2-5 NIS 15 ($3.75/£1.90). Coupons and discounted rates available for children, seniors, and families at Tourist Information and hotel desks. A taxi package is available. Nov-Mar Sun-Thurs and Sat 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-2pm; Apr and Sept-Oct Sun-Thurs 10am-8pm, Fri 10am-2pm; May-June Sun-Thurs 10am-9pm, Fri 9am-2pm; July-Aug 10am-10pm; Fri 10am-2pm.