Showing posts with label Hula Valley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hula Valley. Show all posts

The Hula Valley

The Hula valley is a place of miracles and wonders. Heroic people working together with Mother Nature have made the Hula valley into a place filled with abundant green beauty. 


Until the 1950s large parts of the Hula valley were covered by the Hula Lake and its adjacent swamps. The project for draining the swamps contributed to settlement in the area and to the addition of large areas of agricultural land, leaving the central lake area as a nature reserve where fauna and flora characteristic of the area could remain. Visitors to the Hula Valley can see the plants and animals that are indigenous to the area as well as migrating birds. Films and audio-visual presentations are shown in the visitors' center, which tell about life in the area 50 years ago.  


At the beginning of the 1990s one of the areas of the valley became flooded again as the result of heavy rains. It was decided to develop the surrounding area and to leave the flooded area as it was. The new site – Agmon HaHula, became the second home for thousands of migrating birds that pass through the area in the autumn and spring, as well as the home of many native birds, making it a popular sight for bird-watchers from Israel and abroad. The Agmon HaHula has walking paths, observation points, and telescopes for observing the thousands of birds that inhabit the site. Visitors can also go on guided tours that offer explanations about the birds that inhabit the Hula Valley.  


Water is extremely abundant in the valley, including springs such as Ein Tina, the Jakhula, and the large northern rivers such as the Dan, Snir, Hermon and the Jordan. Because of the abundance of water the area is green and flowering, and contains numerous nature reserves such as HaTanur, Tel Dan, and the Banias. There are also national parks in the region such as Hurshat Tal. 


There are many kibbutzim and moshavim in the Hula Valley, as well as the city of Kiryat Shmona. It has become one of the major tourism regions in Israel, offering activities throughout the year.  Visitors to the Hula Valley can choose from a large selection of guest rooms, country lodging facilities, luxury hotels, and hostels. There are also dozens of archeological sites such as Tel Hatzor, tourist attractions such as the Tel Hai Photography Museum, historical sites such as the Tel Hai Compound, and entertainment centers for children and families such as the Manara Cliffs and cable car.  

The Jezreel Valley

The Bible, geography and ancient and modern history in the Jezreel Valley are perhaps more closely entwined and visible than anywhere else in the country. 
The central Jezreel Valley, roughly 380 square kilometers in size, is bounded on the north by the Nazareth mountains and Mount Tabor, on the east and south by Mount Gilboa and the mountains of Samaria respectively, and on the west by Mount Carmel – all of which are Scriptural stars. 


The passes through these mountains have been significant in world history for thousands of years, emphasizing Israel’s role as a bridge linking Africa, Asia and Europe.  Ancient caravans bearing merchandise and the innovations of far-off cultures, and the armies of antiquity passed this way, as attested by the famed ruins of some 25 cities at Tel Megiddo, Tel Jezreel and other antiquities sites. 


Jezreel means “God will sow” – a hint at its fertility, although by modern times neglect had turned most of it into swamps. But beginning in 1911, pioneers drained the swamps, making the valley bloom again. 


Today it is Israel’s breadbasket, sprouting wheat, cotton, sunflowers and even fish ponds. Among its many attractions are historical and biblical treasures such as Tel Megiddo (Armageddon) national park, the mosaics at Beit Alfa and Tzippori national parks, the cultural mosaic represented by the Circassian village and museum in Kafr Kama and the pioneering and historical museums at Kfar Tabor and Kibbutz Ein Dor, family fun and hands-on learning at places like  the silk and honey farm at Moshav Shadmot Dvora, countryside cuisine at the region’s many fine restaurants, hiking portions of the Israel Trail and the Bible Trail on Mount Gilboa, a wide selection of bed-and-breakfast accommodations run by  rural families,  as well as the numerous religious and heritage sites in Nazareth, and more, all make the Jezreel  one of Israel’s most inviting visitor destinations.

Hula Valley

Vision and determination have, over the past fifty years turned the Hula Valley from swampland into one of Israel’s most beautiful spots.


As the swamps were drained, they were transformed into lush green fields for agriculture, leaving the central lake area as a nature reserve. The Valley is a diverse ecosystem of breathtaking scenery, plant and animal life – quite notably being a major rest-stop on the migratory route for birds through the Rift Valley. Films and audio-visual presentations are shown in the visitors’ center (Oforia Visitor Center). In fact, the valley was named in 2009 as one of the top places in the world to see nature by BBC Nature Magazine


Agmon HaHula

At the beginning of the 1990′s one of the areas of the valley became flooded again as the result of heavy rains. It was decided to develop the surrounding area and to leave the flooded area as it was. The new site, named Agmon HaHula, became the second home for thousands of migrating birds that pass through the area in the autumn and spring, as well as the home of many native birds, making it a popular sight for bird-watchers from Israel and abroad. Tens of thousands of birds of over 200 species, including cranes, storks, pelicans, cormorants and egrets, stay in the reserve, knowing they can find an abundance of food here and in the Hula Valley in general. The reserve also shelters rare aquatic plants, such as yellow flag, paper reed and white water-lily. Water buffalos graze in certain areas to preserve the open meadow environment. Species that have become extinct in the wild, such as the white-tailed eagle, have also been reintroduced here.

Agmon HaHula has walking paths, observation points, and telescopes for observing the thousands of birds that inhabit the site. Visitors can also go on guided tours that offer explanations about the birds that inhabit the Valley.

As well as the walking paths in Agmon HaHula, the nature reserve is criss crossed with biking and walking routes, whilst nearby are places to kayak on the River Jordan.