EL AL | Atmosphere

See the Sights I Eat, Travel, Enjoy

Keystone Winery, Beit Shean I Photo: Ariela Aflalo

YomYom Ceramics, Kfar Ruppin I Photo: Yael Hect

Gan Garoo, Nir David I Photo: Noy Pyade

The Kokhav Hayarden national park I Photo: Ariela Aflalo

events, that of course include coming up close and personal with kangaroos and other animals from the Australian continent, such as cassowaries, emus, flying foxes, and colorful parrots, as well as lantern lit night tours allowing visitors to observe the animals at a time of day that’s usually out of bounds, and learn about their nighttime social patterns, mating behaviors, etc. gangaroo.co.il Keystone Winery, Beit Shean Wine tastings and tours of the vineyard Shimon Edri founded the Keystone Winery in his childhood hometown of Beit Shean, after years spent managing the Bazelet Winery in the Golan Heights. The winery was built inside a basalt structure the Ottomans built next to the old city

of Beit Shean’s “saraya”, i.e., the Ottoman governmental building. Beside it, Edri built a visitors’ center where he conducts wine tastings and workshops. The winery complex also has a kosher dairy bar and restaurant where wine evenings and cultural events take place. keystone_winery The Kokhav Hayarden national park Visit the only quasi-intact Crusader castle in Israel Nestled inside Kokhav Hayarden National Park lies the only complete Crusader fortress in Israel that looks out over Mount Gilead and the Jordan Valley. The castle’s watchtowers, halls, arches, bridges, bathhouse, moat and surrounding wall have remained almost intact to this day. A 1,2km footpath has been built just next to

it, allowing visitors to access the site with ease. The path passes through orchards, the Ein Hayadid spring, and the remains of an ancient settlement. The park is also home to the Yigal Tomarkin sculpture garden and has a camping site in an olive grove where there are water taps, toilets, picnic tables, and lighting. parks.org.il Pure-Te, Kibbutz Beit Alfa Workshops and lectures on the art of tea-making The Kibbutz Beit Alfa tea visitors’ center was established by herbalist and professional tea taster Shimon Sherberg, who conducts fascinating workshops and lectures on the history and art of tea-making, its use as a medicinal plant across cultures, its health benefits, and the culture of tea-drinking around the

18 ATMOSPHERE MARCH 2026