Active Pursuits

Cycling -- Jerusalem is a hard city to bike in, with steep hills, insane traffic, and drivers who traditionally ignore cyclists (or worse). Bikes can be rented at Rochim Bikes, 88 Agrippas St. (tel. 02/623-2598). Day rates start at NIS 40 ($10/£5). It's at the corner of Mani Street, and the staff can offer advice, warnings, and news of local biking activities.

Health Clubs -- The best is the CYBEX fitness center at the David Citadel Hotel (tel. 02/621-1111). The Jerusalem Regency (tel. 02/533-1234) also offers good health club facilities.

Jogging -- Jerusalem, with its many hills, is not the easiest place for unplanned jogging. I like to use the roads and pathways in the Bloomfield Gardens, just above Yemin Moshe. A very useful but hard-to-find paperback, Carta's Jogger's Guide to Jerusalem, by Morton H. Seelenfreund (ask at Steimatzky bookstores), costs less than NIS 40 ($10/£5) and offers maps and many good ideas.

Swimming -- You have a choice of many pools. One of the cheapest (but also most crowded) is the Jerusalem public pool, 43 Emek Refaim St. (tel. 02/563-2092). On Friday, Saturday, and holidays, Israelis pack the pools. Admission is NIS 60 ($15/£7.50). It's open from 8am to 5pm in summer only.

A more convenient, although more expensive, option is to pay the visitors' rate to use a pool at one of the city's hotels. In central Jerusalem, the Inbal Hotel (tel. 02/675-6666) has a covered pool open year-round. The David Citadel Hotel (tel. 02/621-1111) has a heated outdoor pool open year-round, with direct water access from its CYBEX fitness center, but in winter this can be a chilly option. Admission policies vary according to time of year and rate of occupancy, but range from NIS 80 ($20/£10) and up. Prices are higher Friday and Saturday.

In good weather, the outdoor pools at the Mount Zion Hotel (tel. 02/568-9555) and the King David Hotel (tel. 02/620-8888) offer lovely gardens, kiddie pools, and spectacular views of the Old City's walls. Outsider admission to the pool at the King David depends on how full the hotel is, so call ahead.

Tennis -- Reservations are always needed to secure a court. The YMCA, King David Street (tel. 02/569-2692), is a good, central place to play if you have your own equipment. It is open Monday to Saturday 8am to sunset and costs approximately NIS 40 ($10/£5) per hour. Prices are higher on the weekends. The Hebrew University at Mount Scopus (tel. 02/581-7579) has 10 lighted courts and rents equipment at similar prices. It's open Sunday to Thursday 7am to 10pm and Friday and Saturday 7am to 5pm.