EL AL | Atmosphere

See the Sights I Haifa

Exploring Haifa

With its new underground funicular, vibrant food scene, and fascinating art galleries, Haifa never ceases to amaze and delight. December is a great time to wander through its streets and alleyways, for a city break with the family or a romantic couple’s weekend, just in time for the festive season to set in \ By Yulia Prilik-Niv

Haifa is a city in constant renewal, offering visitors an endless diversity of sites and attractions, restaurants, bars, art galleries and museums. Here are some of our favorite things to see and do, in the city where the mountain meets the sea. Cable cars, funiculars and buses Haifa’s public transport system is among the country’s most advanced. The new funiculars and old cable car system connecting the city’s various neighborhoods, are extremely fun to experience, especially with the kids. The funicular system scoops passengers up from Haifa Bay to the heights of Mount Carmel where Haifa University lies. The ride up takes 20 minutes, and the views are breathtaking. Combine the ride up with a visit to the 30 th floor of the

Eshkol building for a truly magical view of the bay, and a visit to the Hecht Museum where beautiful archeological artifacts, paintings and sculptures are on show year-round. (Entrance is free; a ride on a cable car costs NIS 50). And while we’re on the subject of public transport: no visit to Haifa is complete without a ride on its underground system, the Carmelit – the shortest in the world, and inaugurated in the 50’s. There are only six stations and the system spans 1,800 meters, from Kikar Paris to Haifa Central station. You’ll find the Carmelit extremely useful, as it stops right by the city’s main attractions, with stations by the cinematheque, the zoo, the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, the Louis Promenade, the Madatech, etc. Interested in learning more about the history

16 ATMOSPHERE DECEMBER 2022