Visiting an outlook might not seem like a spot to be on the top of your list to visit while in Israel. But visiting at least one outlook is VERY worthwhile. Having the vantage point that overlooks the area really helps understanding what is around you and why it is important. It provides context and understanding to why the area, and the State, is historical and interesting. No matter where you go, there are outlooks in Israel to get some context and understanding. Here are my top 10 outlooks in Israel.
Har Adar Outlook
The first spot in my list of outlooks in Israel is the lookout at the top of Har Adar. The lookout is on top of the hill with the town underneath it. This outlook is special on a lot of fronts. Although the outlook itself has a good vantage point to see Jerusalem, there is a tower you can climb up for an even better outlook of the surroundings.
It is also a special outlook because a Har Adar was a battle site in the War of 1948. During the British Mandate, this top of Har Adar was a radar station controlled by the British military. The British used it as a relay station to boost the radio signal of the British military around Jerusalem. Leading up to the second part of the War of 1948, the British gave the installation to the Jordanian Arab Legion. After the Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948, and the beginning of the second part of the War, the Harel Brigade of the Palmach made twenty- three attempts to take over the station, but they didn’t succeed.
It was only taken over in the Six Day War in 1967 by the same Harel Brigade. The tower that I mentioned above is a memorial for the fallen soldiers of the Harel Brigade who fought here. Architects wrote the verse from II Samuel 1:19:
“Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights; How the mighty have fallen!”
on the top of the tower. There are tanks at the outlook from the battle that we can climb on today in order to get an idea of the impacts of tank warfare.
Lido Outlook
The Lido Outlook is one of my favorite outlooks in the ENTIRE country. It’s located on the northern edge of the Dead Sea, and it provides an amazing view over the Dead Sea and surrounding area. The building at the junction that provides this outlook was the beginning of a hotel project of the Jordanians. The hotel would be on the banks of the Dead Sea, and boats would dock near the stairs we can still see today. But since this part of the Dead Sea region has been under Israeli control, the waters have receded to the point that these stairs are now irrelevant. Contractors never finished building the hotel.
But IDF reservist, Gershon Kochavi, found time in March 1973 copied the Peutinger Table Map on the walls of what would have been the dining room. The Peutinger Map is an illustrated road map that shows the road network of the Roman Empire.
I love this outlook because, well first off, the view is breath- taking. But also, it provides a great opportunity to talk about different issues of the area, such as:
- Environmental issues and the Dead Sea,
- What the Dead Sea really is (in terms of the mineral makeup of the water),
- Jordanian- Israeli relations,
- And of course, much more!
It’s a great place to talk about all of these things, to take some pictures, and also to take a coffee break, reflect, and meditate as a nice break in the day.
Mitzpe Ramon Outlook
This is another one of my favorite outlooks in Israel. It looks out over Makhtesh Ramon, or the Ramon Crater. Now the makhtesh you see from this outpost is not like any crater you may see elsewhere. A makhtesh was once a mountain with a soft layer of rock topped with a harder layer of rock. When rain pours down on the mountain, it seeps down into the harder rock it reaches down to softer rock and washes it out from the mountain. Once that rock is washed out there is a gap between the crust of the mountain and the next layer of rock. Over time more and more of the rock is washed out of the middle of the mountain, creating a hallowed mountain. And because it a hallowed mountain, the crust collapses inward, thus creating a makhtesh.
What you see from this outlook is not just a crater from an asteroid falling from the sky—it took millions of years to be created. Thousands of years ago, it was here that Abraham arrived after coming from what is now Iraq. Today, behind the outlook are two modern hotels, and a visitor’s center named after Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon. It is one spot where millions of years of the earth’s movement comes to live!
Walls of Akko Outlook
The walls of Akko are also a great outlook in understanding northern Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. While the Old City of Akko the walls envelope date back to the Crusaders starting from 1099, the actual walls date to the late 1700’s when Nepolean of France attempted to invade the city. When we climb up on top of the walls we can see over the rooftops of Akko, the waters of the Mediterranean, and on a good day, we can even see the city of Haifa across the bay!
What is so fun about this outlook is that you are really touching history—touching the walls that are over 200 years old—and you’re walking in the footsteps of the Crusaders, the Ottomans, Neapolean’s French Army, the British, and the Israelis before us. It connects us to the history, the society, and the city of Akko.
Mitzpe Yericho Outlook
In a small town called Mitzpe Yericho, there is a small little outlook that allows you to see the lowest city in the world, Jericho, and the Dead Sea in one look! The city of Jericho is 11,000 years old, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. Some say it is the longest lived in city in the world! But being so close to the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point on the earth’s crust, this is also the lowest city on Earth. Being able to see both at the same time gives us an amazing opportunity to understand the geological surroundings, as well as the political surroundings.
Mount Bental Outlook
The lookout at Mount Bental is a classic but a goodie. It is one of the well-known outlooks in Israel. Located in the Golan Heights, the mountain lookout provides us with a lookout into northern Israel and into Syria. Having this opportunity provides a window to discuss several topics, such as:
- Israeli-Syrian Relations
- The Syrian Civil War
- The Role of the United Nations in the Middle East
- Refugee Issues and Israel’s Ways of Helping
There is a coffee shop as well, called Coffee Anan—a play on words as it is the name of former UN Secretary General (spelled Kofi Anan), but also Hebrew for coffee in a cloud. Artists made the artwork leading up to outlook from the parking lot from the scrap metal of the rockets has been fired into the State of Israel. Coming to this outlook makes the area come alive. It helps us better understand what is really going on in this area of the Middle East.
Nimrod’s Lookout in Rosh Pina
The outlook here in Rosh Pina provides a beautiful outlook into the Upper Eastern Galilee. It is a green, lush, and a beautiful place. It provides a nice spot to take a break for lunch, to meditate, or just take a breath. Sometimes life can get so busy with work, school, cell phones, computers, social media, and all the other things in our lives, we forget to stop and breath—to exhale. That can happen on trips as well. We get so caught up in seeing the next stop, getting our pictures, buying the next falafel, we forget to stop and take it all in. This outlook really allows us to do that.
But it also allows us to understand the town of Rosh Pina. The town was built up during the first wave of major Jewish immigration to the land before the State of Israel is born. Rosh Pina faced rough beginnings and struggled to get started. The work was back-breaking, the salaries weren’t very high, and the housing was basic. But today, it is a charming town with an artistic touch to the atmosphere. So with this outlook we can:
- Understand the area of the Galilee,
- Overlook the town of Rosh Pina,
- Learn about the land’s history,
- And take a nice break to breath.
Red Canyon Outlook
The Red Canyon is just a 20-minute drive north of Eilat. But at the top of the canyon, you can see the stunning Negev to the north, and Eilat and the Gulf of Aqaba to the south. We call the Red Canyon this name because the color of the rock is… yep, you guessed it, red. No matter when you go to visit the view is amazing, but during the sunrise and the sunset hours the mountains of the Red Canyon are absolutely stunning.
The views at the Red Canyon are not only incredibly beautiful, but they also provide great context to the area of the Negev Desert, the City of Eilat, and the waters and lands south of us. It is one of the unique outlooks in Israel because it’s not necessarily a proper outlook built up with benches. But it provides a great view of the area.
Armon HaNatziv Promenade
Of the many outlooks in Israel, Armon HaNatziv and its outlook is well-known for many reasons. It is from this outlook that you can see the City of David, the beginning of Jerusalem’s beginning as a city. But we can also see the spot of why Jerusalem became important at all—the spot where Abraham almost sacrificed his son Isaac. Where was that spot? Underneath where the Temple Mount stands today…and of course we can see that from the Armon HaNatziv Promenade.
Today, this is a spot that not only where many tourist groups start their trips, but residents of Jerusalem come to read a book in the park, or have a picnic with friends and family, or enjoy a view on Shabbat. It is also the spot where the major observances of the Ethiopian Jewish holiday of Sigd takes place. The Ethiopian Israeli community comes to Armon HaNatziv and reads from the Torah written in Aramaic. Make sure to also visit at night because the view of the Old City of Jerusalem dotted with lights is beautiful!
Ariel Sharon Park
The spot on my outlooks in Israel list is another favorite of mine. The Ariel Sharon Park is located in between Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport and offers a 360-degree panorama of the area. You can see Tel Aviv, the Airport, Rishon L’Tzion, and maybe on a good day, my hometown Ashdod. Municipalities and organizations hold concerts, parties, and other events as well. And that leads to why this is one of my favorite outlooks and spots in Israel.
The park is actually…a garbage disposal site…that authorities built a park on top of…and then named after a former Prime Minister of Israel. Let that sink for a second. A group of people got together to think about what else they could do with this disposal site, and decided the best thing to do is to create a park on top and name it after someone important to the country. Don’t get me wrong, it is a nice park, and I have gone to concerts there several times. I’d go again in the future. But the three facts together that make up the Ariel Sharon Park just cracks me up.
In conclusion, outlooks in Israel…
can seem boring and useless and fun only to people who are crazy for geology or bird watching. And they are fun for people who love geology and bird watching. But outlooks are also good for people who aren’t. Use these outlooks to help you gain a deeper understanding of the area that you are in. Find the outlook that’s off the beaten path. Explore what’s around. Share what your favorite outlooks in Israel are! And of course, use it as a great opportunity to take a group picture!!
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