The snowy mountain attracts thousands of Israeli visitors every day • Many come to it and miss the wonderful things in the area • The must-see sites in the Golan Heights
Hobo Hostel
Photo:
The Bronze Age
Last week's storm adorned the Golan Heights with white snow, and was also generous to the Hermon site, with an addition of 85 cm of snow to the lower level, and another 130 cm to its upper level.
The layout that allows the website to be opened allows entry only by registering and purchasing tickets in advance on the website, and with a limit of 2,500 visitors per day.
Although the new restrictions require preparations in advance, when you enter the site, you will have larger spaces for surfing and playing in the snow, and even shorter queues for the cable cars.
The Mysterious Fortress
On the way to Mount Hermon you can not miss the Nimrod Fortress, which looks like it is about to leap from the mountain.
It is the largest fortress left in the country since the Middle Ages, and offers visitors four impressive towers with spectacular views, and hiking trails suitable for families.
Arrival: From the junction of Saar Waterfall leading to Neve Ativ and Hermon, turn in the direction of Majdal Shams, and continue driving to the Nimrod Fortress National Park.
Admission is paid, and must be registered in advance on the Nature and Parks Authority website.
Near the Nimrod Fortress is the highest Jewish settlement in the country, Nimrod, where only five families live.
From here you can go on a trip that is about seven kilometers long, on section No. 2 of the Golan Heights, from Nimrod to Tel Qatsa, which ends in the beautiful reserve of Odem Forest, the largest forest reserve in the Golan.
The walk lasts between four and five hours and begins with an observation point from Mitzpe Nimrod, from which you can look from a height of 1,100 m towards Mount Hermon, the Druze villages of Majdal Shams and a restaurant, and also to the beautiful blue spot of Ram Pool
Continue walking along the edge of the village restaurant to Pool Pool, a natural lake located in the crater of an extinct volcano.
The water that fills the pond is underground springs and runoff, and is used to irrigate the plantations in the area.
The trail passes through the cherry orchards and ends at Tel Qatsa - a small volcanic mound located on the edge of a ruby forest.
Please note that the route is not circular, and it is advisable to leave one vehicle at the beginning in Nimrod, and a second vehicle at the end at Tel Qatsa.
Those who prefer a shorter hike, can travel directly to Ram Pool, located at the foot of Mount Hermon and adjacent to the Druze village restaurant.
Park the car in the parking lot, next to the Salim Shofi restaurant, and go up to the observation deck by the pool.
The length of the favorite hike that awaits you here is about a mile and a half, and it stretches over the scenic promenade that surrounds the pool.
Another short hike accompanied by a pleasant picnic can be done in the green expanses of the Odem Forest, or hike around the large Juba in the forest - the deep pit 250 meters in diameter created by the eruption of a volcanic depression, and covered entirely with trees.
The perfect combination - waterfalls and knapsack
A trip to the Golan would not be complete without watching the rushing flow of a waterfall, especially after stormy rainy days.
Saar Waterfall is the waterfall closest to the Hermon area and during this period it looks especially powerful.
First you can watch the flow from the higher observation point, which is located near the parking lot next to the waterfall, across the road.
Now return to the path and walk towards the sloping bridge over Nahal Sa'ar, near the tumultuous waterfall.
After crossing the bridge, climb the stairs to the north bank of the stream, and turn right, towards the bridge of Neve Ativ Road (989). Please note that there is a special pedestrian crossing on the bridge, and you are not allowed to walk on the road. , And from there you will return to the parking lot.
An interesting cuisine is also waiting for you at the foot of Mount Hermon.
Efrat Moskowitz, a food blogger and creator living in the Golan Heights, guides culinary tours in the Druze villages of Buqata, a restaurant and Majdal Shams at the foot of Mount Hermon.
With it you can go through cherry and apple orchards, buy Hermon honey, homemade jams and olive oil at the farm stalls, visit the coffee grinder and the local patisserie bakery, and taste stuffed vine leaves, pita and brick, as well as kataif and knafa for dessert.
The tours take place with pre-registration on Fridays between 10:00 and 14:30, and it is also possible to book a private tour for the group the rest of the week, but not on Saturday.
The tour is vegetarian, and is intended for private car owners.
The price is NIS 300 per person.
For reservations: 052-8348489.
For meat lovers and those who want to eat independently in the area's restaurants, Moskowitz recommends El Sultan restaurant run by Khaled in a village restaurant on the main road.
For home kitchen lovers, she recommends Safa Ibrahim's home kitchen in a restaurant, with dishes from Syrian-Lebanese cuisine, which must be ordered at least two days in advance by phone: 050-4488279.
In the village of Buqata, you can order authentic Druze food from the home of Nasiba Samra, again by prior arrangement, by phone: 050-225343.
Of course, it is impossible without fresh and varied handmade klawa, which you can find just before ascending Mount Hermon with Abu Jabal sweets at Majdal Shams.
The area around Mount Hermon offers plenty of accommodation sites and B & Bs at different price levels, both in the nearby Druze villages and in Kibbutz Neve Ativ. Less well known are the accommodation options in the small and high settlement of Nimrod, like the Hobo Hostel located right at the beginning of the Golan Trail, at the foot of Mount Hermon. The building is built as a mountain hut with colorful wooden beams and plaster, blends in with the surrounding wildlife and overlooks a loud pool lake and the Yapuri Valley. Accommodation is in two dormitories with bunk beds (NIS 120 per person) or in a double room (NIS 400).