Haifa

Haifa is Israel's principal northern port, descending in three tiers — the Carmel ridge, the mid-slope German Colony and the Mediterranean harbour. It is the world centre of the Bahá'í Faith, whose 19 terraces cascade for nearly one kilometre down Mount Carmel, covering 200,000 square metres of formal gardens. UNESCO inscribed the Bahá'í Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee as a World Heritage Site in July 2008. At the gardens' centre, the gold-domed Shrine of the Báb — resting place of the faith's Prophet-Herald — looks across the bay towards Acre.

The Cave of Elijah, revered by Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Druze traditions, lies on Carmel's lower slopes. Above it, the Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery commands sweeping Mediterranean views and serves as the Order's international headquarters. The German Colony — 19th-century Templer limestone houses now lined with restaurants — and the adjacent Wadi Nisnas Arab market give Haifa its multicultural character. The Bat Galim cable car ascends Carmel in five minutes from the seafront.

Haifa lies approximately 90 km north of Tel Aviv (one hour by road or rail) and 150 km from Jerusalem (two hours). Acre is 25 km north, around 25 minutes by road, making a combined Haifa–Acre day trip easy. Spring and autumn are ideal; the Bahá'í Gardens admit non-pilgrims on guided morning tours only.