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Chai Bar Carmel nature reserve – a short a excursion route in the Carmel nature
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Chai Bar Carmel nature reserve – a short a excursion route in the Carmel nature

Chai Bar Carmel nature reserve – a short a excursion route in the Carmel nature

Haifa travel guide

Carmel is no different from other regions of the country in this respect, as large mammals and birds had been living there for thousands of years before wild hunting ended in the 19th century. All of these animals have become extinct and gone from the landscape of Carmel, including the tiger, the wolf, the bear, the Carmel deer, the wild boar, and the eagle. In Hai-Bar Carmel, endangered and extinct animals are raised and returned to the wild if they are in danger of extinction.

Get to know Iranian wild sheep, Cretan wild goat, Persian wild boar, and Carmel deer, as well as reproduction seeds of other birds of prey and eagles. Several mammals have been released into the wild, including the Persian donkey and the Carmel deer – so you should know that the reproductive nuclei have developed well. Take advantage of your trip with added value!

The route is described below
After the film, we will walk towards the observation deck to see how the animals have returned to nature since they were in the wild. We begin our visit at the visitor center, where you can see a film about the wildlife in the wild and the stages of their return to nature.

Views from the observation deck

You can clearly see the University of Haifa, Kibbutz Beit Oren, Dania and the Carmel Castle from the balcony. It overlooks the west of the Carmel. Two large fires ravaged the green slopes of the mountain in 1989 and 2010. The animals were released into the wild after the second fire, which saved their lives. However, the fire killed reptiles and other small animals. More than five million trees were burned in this fire, and 44 people were killed.

To get to the park’s animal pens, walk along an accessible path:

An Iranian paddock for donkeys

It has been discovered in archaeological excavations in Israel that donkey bones and horns have been found since prehistoric times. Due to the extinct nature of the species of donkey that used to live in Israel, a related species has been brought in to replace the extinct species – the Persian donkey. The Persian donkey is also nearly extinct. As a result of the Islamic coup in Iran in 1978, the last mahouts were brought to Israel as part of a special operation by El Al. The Persian Shah’s hunting reserve and several zoos around the world were home to a few individuals of this animal in those days.

Several hundred donkeys have been bred by them and their descendants since then. In 1996, donkeys were released into the wild in Nahal Kaziv, in the Upper Galilee, and in 2005, in Nahal Sorek, in the Judean Mountains, after they had formed a large enough breeding nucleus to release them into the wild. In the Mediterranean ecosystem, donkeys play an important role. Due to their tendency to eat leaves, they are able to prevent forest fires from spreading.Several hundred donkeys have been bred by them and their descendants since then. 

Haifa itineraries for nature walks

Haifa itineraries for nature walks

The tour itineraries enable you to enjoy nature, tour some of the green Haifa wadis and encounter rich flora, running water, fruit orchards and sites of historic interest. All itineraries are marked by the Nature Protection Society standard signposts. AHUZA RIVER This is a circular itinerary, beginning and ending at the junction of Freud and Vitkin Streets. The tour is suitable for all ages, all year round, although the last section towards Lachish Street is steep. Parking - on the streets nearby or indoor parking at the Horev Center. On route you will see diverse Carmel flora and enjoy the spectacular vista as you approach the small Ahuza Springs and the remaining orchards. SIAH RIVER Length of tour - about 3 hours. It is suitable for all ages, all year round. The walk begins near building no.12 on Lotus Street and ends at the beginning of the Siah River or at the ascent to the Kababir village. Main sites - Siah River Gorge, Ein Meshotetim, the ancient Carmelite ensemble, the 2 floor cave, Ein Siah and the orchard. The route passes through one of the most beautiful and important gorges in Haifa, which offers a wonderful combination of nature, rare and special flora, historical sites, running springs and panoramic views. LOTEM RIVER Length of tour - about 2 hours. It is suitable for all ages, all year round. Parking - along Hanassi Avenue, Dafna Street or Yefe Nof Street. There is also organised parking in the Panorama Center, accessible from Yefe Nof Street. The walk starts in Gan Ha'em and ends on Derech Hayam Street. Return to the Carmel Center by bus no. 3. The Lotem River is one of Haifa's most beautiful natural sites. It has abundant flora and after only a few minutes walk you will feel in the heart of nature far from the bustle of the city. Enjoy the quiet and the chirping of the birds, get an impression of the rich flora and after a short rest, climb back to Gan Ha'em. WALKING TOUR ITINERARIES CITY SITES KABABIR AHMEDI VILLAGE Length of tour - 30 minutes, including entrance to the mosque or about 2 hours including descent to the Siah riverbed, tour and return to the village. Parking-in Kababir. Main attractions - the village mosque and houses, panoramic views southwards from the public gardens. Kababir's location on the western end of one of the most beautiful Carmel spurs is a convenient descent point to the Siah River for a tour of the springs, the orchards and the Carmelite Monastery. The climb back to the village is NOT an easy one. CARMEL CENTER Length of tour - about 60 minutes at a normal walking pace without entering sites. Parking - as for itinerary , start and ending points near the Kaiser Monument on Yefe Nof Street. The excursion includes a large choice of possibilities, with a delightful combination of nature and city panoramas and clean air, commerce, culture and entertainment centers. From the Kaiser Monument, turn left to Dafna Street and from there to Hanassi Avenue for a left turn to the Japanese Museum, on to the Museum of Prehistory on Hatishbi Street - to the Biological Institute and to the Zoo through Gan Ha'em (the starting point for itinerary no.3). From here continue to the Carmel center to the Rothschild Theater Complex and the nearby Mania Shohat Garden. Cross Moriah Avenue, return to the Carmel Center and stroll through the Panorama Shopping Mall to the Mane Katz Museum and back to the Kaiser Monument. FROM THE SCULPTURE GARDENS TO THE BAHAI SHRINE This is a short walking tour. Parking - on the 2nd of November Street, just below the Sculpture Gardens. After a stroll around the sculptures in the Garden, descend to Zionut Avenue to the Bahai Temple and Gardens. This is a short walk, no more than 500m. each way, but the return is a steep one. STELLA MARIS, CAPE CARMEL Parking at the site. This itinerary includes a tour of Cape Carmel sites with the option of descent by foot to Elijah's Cave or by cablecar to the Bat Galim seafront promenade. Cape Carmel offers panoramic views, a visit to the Carmelite Monastery and a visit to the Sacred Heart Chapel (the short tour). From the Chapel there is a footpath. marked by the Nature Protection Society, to Elijah's Cave. This longer tour is about 1 kilometer from the parking lot to the Cave. HADAR The starting and ending point is at the Haifa Museum. Length of itinerary - about 90 minutes normal walking, without entering the sites. Parking - either along Shabtai Levy Street, in front of the Haifa Museum or at one of the parking garages in nearby Levontin St. Start the tour at the Haifa Museum which includes three types of exhibitions: ancient and modern art, music and ethnology. Further on, climb the Dor Steps to Herzlia Street and then via the Ben Shemen Steps continue to the Technological Museum (Daniel & Mathilde Recanati Center) situated in the old Technion building. in the nearby garden, Albert Einstein planted a palm tree during his visit in Israel on February 11,1923. Continue along Jerusalem Street to the Binyamin Gardens, return along the Nordau Pedestrian Mall to Balfour Street and then along Bialik Street to the City Hall and the Remembrance Gardens overlooking Haifa Port, past Hanevi'im Tower and back to Haifa Museum through Shabtai Levy Street. THE GERMAN COLONY Length of tour is about 30 minutes. Park along Ben Gurion or Hameginim Avenues, close to the junction between the two as the starting and ending points of the tour is the north eastern corner. The tour runs along many mansions and sites which are milestones in the development of the German Colony: No.5 Meir Street - an educational institution built in 1870 by George David Hardog, one of the founders of the colony. Between 1888-1948 it was used as a German - Catholic Hospital. No.11 Ben Gurion Avernue - The People's House built in 1869. Before reclaiming, the sea shore extended to the junction of Ha'atzmaut Road and Ben Gurion Ave and it is here that Kaiser Wilhelm II disembarked in 1898. No.12 Ben Gurion Avenue - The mansion of Yaakov Schumacher, who was the U.S. consul in the Templar days. No.16 Ben Gurion Avenue - The residence of Sir Laurence Oliphant. No.24 Ben Gurion Avenue - A typical courtyard from Templar days.

The Haifa Cable Car

The Haifa Cable Car

Haifa has two cable car systems: the tourist-oriented Bat Galim cable car system that runs up Mount Carmel from the Bat Galim promenade in the western part of the city, and the Rakavlit – a public-transportation aerial tramway in the southeastern part of the city, which ascends from the Haifa Bay public transit hub to the hilly areas housing the University of Haifa and the Technion. The Haifa Cable Car offers an experiential five-minute ride with amazing Carmel Mountain Views, which begins on the Bat Galim promenade and continues to the end of Mount Carmel and back. The Haifa cable car is transparent for the best expirince. You can purchase a one-way ticket or a return ticket. Access to the cable car is possible both from the lower station (Bat Galim promenade) and from the upper station. At the top station you can complete the experience with entertainment in one of the restaurants or enjoy another attraction such as Stella Maris Church, a visit to the Cave of Elijah and an observation point to Rosh Hanikra and the Gulf of Acre. The new cable car, Dubbed the “Rakavlit” connecting the University with the Technion and the Lev Hamifratz central train/bus station, covers a total distance of 4.4 kilometers with an elevation gain of 460 meters. The “Rakavliture is to become a major city tourist attraction, most of the passengers are expected to be students traveling to and from the Technion.

The National Maritime Museum Haifa

The National Maritime Museum Haifa

The National Maritime Museum - was established in 1953, from the private collection of the late Aryeh Ben-Eli, who was the founder and first director of the museum. In 1972, the building was inaugurated at 198 Allenby Street, where it is still today. The museum presents spectacular exhibitions of ships from different periods, the pirate exhibition presented in the museum as part of the permanent exhibition is an experiential exhibition and the only one of its kind in Israel. In addition, the museum displays rare finds that survived from ancient times, underwater archaeology, Greco-Roman coins, maritime mythology and more. The museum is located at the southern entrance to Haifa and attracts thousands of visitors a year. The exhibition invites visitors to a space full of love for the sea and connects them directly with the museum's new story. It features a display of bottled ships and models of ships from around the world created by sailors as part of the unique leisure culture that has evolved aboard ships sailing in the distance. Address: Derech Allenby 198, Haifa Image by: Zvi Roger

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