Kiryat Anavim: Heritage Trail, Wine Country and History

Kiryat Anavim offers a range of points of interest: the Heritage Trail, the wine country in Beka'at Amir and the history of the military cemetery. These places appeal to different interests—a specific route, views and historical context. When planning your stay, you can prioritize what interests you most.

Heritage Trail: Orientation and a distinctive structure

Kiryat Anavim's Heritage Trail was created in 2020 to mark the kibbutz's centenary. Its start and end point is the same parking lot, opposite the entrance to the Cramim Hotel on Route 3976. This provides a clearly identified landmark for the trail. Check local information before your visit.

Along the trail stands a two-story concrete foxhole pillbox with firing slits; a deer sculpture sits on its roof. The combination of the defensive-looking structure and the figure on the roof makes this point along the route particularly memorable. The trail can therefore be described not only by the occasion for its creation, but also by a specific structure.

Beka'at Amir: Vineyards and views

In Beka'at Amir, a single bench stands above a broad valley. The valley is entirely cultivated with grapevines for wine production. The bench's position above the vineyards brings the landscape into view; viticulture is a defining feature of the scenery here.

Another viewpoint is the stone platform known as the “altar.” It invites visitors to sit and offers views of Kiryat Anavim below, Abu Ghosh, the Ma'ale Hahamisha Hotel and some houses in Har Adar. Together, the two spots offer different perspectives: the bench above the cultivated valley and the platform overlooking several named places. If you are interested in landscapes and views, you can distinguish these sights from the historic route.

Military cemetery and local history

The Kiryat Anavim military cemetery offers another point of historical reference. Burials there began in 1948 during the War of Independence. Most of those buried there fell in that war; some fell in the Yom Kippur War. The last fallen soldier to be buried in the cemetery died in 1980.

For a sense of the chronology, these details should be kept distinct: 1948 marks the beginning of burials; the references to the wars concern those buried there; 1980 is the year of death of the last fallen soldier buried there. This provides a nuanced picture of the historical references cited, without conflating the individual dates.

Jerusalem: a distinct cultural context

Jerusalem itself has a distinct cultural context. The Old City and its walls have great symbolic significance for Judaism, Christianity and Islam as a holy city, and encompass 220 historic monuments. The Dome of the Rock in the Old City was built in the 7th century. Jerusalem Walls National Park is in central Jerusalem and includes historic, archaeological and religious sites. It was designated to preserve historical, archaeological, traditional, architectural and landscape values for public benefit.

Jerusalem's nature and museum offerings also offer different points of interest. The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens encompasses 150 dunams of nature in the heart of the city. The permanent exhibition at the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum spans ten galleries and brings together innovative technology, interactive presentations, archaeological finds and ancient artifacts. In the City of David, the Pilgrims’ Road lets visitors walk on original paving stones once used by residents and pilgrims on their way to the Temple. Check current access conditions before traveling there.

Discover more destinations: Mikhmanim, Yesod Hamaala, Kibbutz Ginnosar, Shaar Hagolan, Gidona, Kadarim, Hazon, Havatzelet Hasharon

For the main travel overview: Israel.