Haifa’s German Colony

We kicked off our vacation at the Golden Crown Hotel, right at the gateway to Haifa’s German Colony-a 19th-century Templer village full of history, and one of several German Colonies in Israel. From our room, the sea view over the harbor was stunning, and the back view? The breathtaking Bahá’í Gardens.

Ben Gurion Avenue, the colony’s main street, bursts with cafés and restaurants buzzing with life from morning till late at night. From the bottom of the street, you look straight up at the 19 terraces stretching a full kilometer, crowned by the Bahai Garden golden-domed shrine at the center.

Entrance to the Bahá’í Gardens is free, but we highly recommend joining a guided tour—registration is easy online at the official Bahá’í website, and it gives you wider access. The 45-minute tour shares insights about the Bahá’í faith, followed by a sweeping panorama of Haifa Bay. If you prefer exploring on your own, you can still walk through three limited sections of the gardens independently between 09:00–17:00. Full access, however, is reserved for Bahá’í believers only.

The English tour runs daily at 10:00 (except Mondays). The Shrine of the Báb and the inner gardens are open to the public only from 09:00–12:00. Since the gardens are built on the slopes of Mount Carmel, it’s best to start from the top entrance at Louis Promenade—where you’ll enjoy one of the most spectacular views in all of Israel—and walk downhill. Louis Promenade itself is a must—come during the day for the view, and at night for the magical city lights.

When you finish—whether at the top or bottom—just grab a bus (115, 136, 30, 31, or 23) for only 8 shekels and ride back to your starting point.