Discover Jerusalem: Old City, Museums and Nature

Jerusalem combines an Old City of great religious and symbolic significance with museums, historic routes, and green spaces. The Old City and its walls alone tell of the city’s importance to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. At the same time, you’ll find many different ways to connect with the city on your trip: from archaeological finds and historic buildings to gardens and trails through the landscape.

Old City, walls, and traces of history

The Old City of Jerusalem and its walls encompass 220 historic monuments. One striking landmark is the Dome of the Rock, built in the 7th century. The viewpoint at the Phasael Tower offers another distinctive perspective: at 777 meters above sea level, it provides a 360-degree view over Jerusalem’s Old City and New City. Jerusalem’s architectural history and the views over the Old and New Cities offer two different ways to experience the city.

In the City of David, the Pilgrims’ Road runs over original paving stones. They were once used by the city’s residents and by pilgrims on their way to the Temple; visitors can walk on them today. In this way, the road itself becomes part of the historical story. The Western Wall Tunnels, in turn, illustrate the infrastructure required to open the site to the public: this included walkways, accessible routes, lighting, trained guides, and a reservation system.

Museums with different focuses

The new permanent exhibition at the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum spans 10 galleries. It combines innovative technology and interactive displays with archaeological finds and ancient artifacts. This makes a visit an encounter with history through different forms of presentation. The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem focuses on rare artifacts from the ancient Near East. Alongside its exhibitions, it offers educational programs, cultural events, guided tours, and lectures. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, was founded in 1965.

These museums offer different perspectives: Jerusalem and its history, finds from the ancient Near East, or a broader museum experience. If you’re interested in culture and history, you can take these themes into account when planning your days, without limiting your stay to a single historical chapter.

Gardens, national park, and trails

Nature and landscape are also part of Jerusalem’s character. The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens encompasses 150 dunams of nature in the heart of the city. The Jerusalem Walls National Park in central Jerusalem offers a different perspective, encompassing historic, archaeological, and religious sites. The park was designated to preserve historic, archaeological, traditional, architectural, and landscape values for public benefit.

The Jerusalem Trail connects Jerusalem with the Israel Trail. Its route passes through the Jerusalem Walls National Park, along the Kidron Stream, and through the Hinnom Valley. Those interested in trails and landscapes will find a connection between different parts of the city that offers a different experience from the museum themes. Just outside Jerusalem, the Lifta Nature Reserve preserves a spring cave, agricultural terraces, and orchards at the entrance to the city.

Lifta Spring includes a 60-meter-long spring cave. It feeds a pool, and its water continues to flow into irrigation channels. These specific features give the place a different character from the botanical garden in the heart of Jerusalem: here, the focus is on the spring, the flow of water, and agricultural elements.

Which side of Jerusalem would you like to discover?

To plan your trip, you can first decide what interests you most: the Old City and architectural history, museums and archaeological finds, or gardens, landscapes, and trails. These themes offer different ways to get to know Jerusalem.

More places in the region

Explore further: Jerusalem, Tsafririm, Yad Hashmona, Harel, Ma'ale Hahamisha, Agur, Abu Gosch, Li On, Giv'at Ye'arim, Aderet, Bar Giora, Mesilat Zion and Tal Shahar.

See the full travel overview: Israel.