Photo story: the tastes and traditions of Israel's Lower Galilee region
Far from being the preserve of pilgrims, Northern Israel’s Lower Galilee is a fertile land of plenty, where winemakers, farmers and craftspeople are building on thousands of years of tradition to position the region as a timeless gourmet escape.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ once walked through the narrow, cobbled streets of Nazareth, the centre of Israel’s Arab population and the largest city of the Galilee. These days, the ochre-stone houses in old Nazareth are populated with artsy coffeeshops, galleries stocked with local handicrafts and traditional bakeries selling knafeh, a sweet, cheese-filled pastry.
On the outskirts of the Old City lies Nazareth Village, an open-air museum where biblical scenes are recreated, along with snapshots of daily life and handicrafts from the first century.
The city of Nazareth marks the start of the Jesus Trail, a 40-mile hiking route that — almost literally — follows in the footsteps of Christ, connecting sites from his life and teachings. Taking in dramatic scenery, it leads pilgrims along the steep slopes of Mount Arbel and down to the Sea of Galilee.
Given its pastoral nature, the area is home to a number of organic goat farms. For the ultimate Galilean feast, tuck into a farm-to-table meal at Goats with the Wind, an off-grid farm in a tranquil setting near the ancient settlement of Yodfat.
Goats with the Wind is run by Daliah and Amnon Zaldestein, who left city life in Haifa for this secluded corner of the Galilee, and grew their herd from five to 200 goats. They draw on cheesemaking traditions from their travels across France and Italy to produce some unique cheeses, which can be enjoyed in hand-built gazebos beneath the carob trees.
The Sea of Galilee served as a backdrop to many of Christ’s miracles, like the Feeding of the 5,000, which is commemorated by a simple church in Tabgha. On the southern shore of the lake, between Capernaum and the archaeological site of Ginosar, lies the Mount of Beatitudes, believed to be where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount.
The current Church of the Beatitudes was built on the site of Byzantine ruins in 1938 for a Franciscan order of nuns — and allegedly partly financed by Mussolini. The octagonal floor plan represents the eight beatitudes, each marked in stained glass just below the dome’s golden mosaic. The colonnaded cloister balcony and flourishing gardens have spectacular vistas of the northern part of the lake and the cliffs of the Golan Heights.
Combining artisanal initiatives and bountiful local produce, the Lower Galilee is a popular destination for gourmet travellers. A must-visit is Abu Ashraf’s memorabilia-filled restaurant for katayef — sweet, thick pancakes folded over nuts and cinnamon, then fried with geranium syrup.
Elsewhere, Netofa Winery serves platters of local produce with its estate wines, made exclusively with grapes grown at the foot of Mount Tabor, where the soils vary between volcanic and limestone. This unique terroir creates perfect conditions for developing unique qualities of Mediterranean grapes, from Syrah to Chenin Blanc.
According to the New Testament, Christ famously turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana. Indeed, the region’s wine history dates back thousands of years — there’s a first-century wine press on display in Nazareth Village. The thriving wine industry became dormant after the Muslim conquest in the seventh century, and the industry didn’t return to the area until the 19th century, when sweet grape varieties were grown for religious rituals, gradually becoming a boutique industry of terroir-driven, premium wines.
Near the village of Tzipori, Gal Yona of Jonah Vineyard currently produces only 5,000 bottles a year, mainly focusing on Rhône varieties such as Carignan or Viognier. However, he’s on a quest to recreate ancient vintages, too, and hopes to achieve something similar to what Christ himself might have drunk.
Published in the Jan/Feb 2023 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)
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