If someone asks you to name a beautiful cosmopolitan city on a hill with a spectacular view of the water, you'll probably say San Francisco. After you've been to Israel, however, your answer may change. One of the many jewels of Israel is the city of Haifa, a clean and green city that stretches from the shores of the Mediterranean up the slope of Mt.Carmel and is topped off by the high-rise University of Haifa. This is the site of Israel's major port, the place where both people and goods enter the country.

Haifa is the third largest city in Israel, with a population of approximately 250,000, and perhaps its most progressive. It has always had a large Arab population and, today, Haifa is one of the few places in Israel where Jews and Arabs are in regular contact and make genuine efforts to promote coexistence.

Other minorities have also found Haifa a comfortable place to live. In fact, it is the world headquarters for the Baha'i faith, whose spectacular golden-domed shrine of the Bab is one of the city's landmarks. The shrine, along with the fabulous gardens at the center, make the center a popular tourist attraction.

Haifa is a blue-collar town -- it is the place where the Histadrut - Labor Federation - was founded in 1920 -- that also has a reputation for having a more pluralist approach to Judaism. It is the only city in Israel where the buses run on Shabbat and where many businesses stay open. This has enhanced the city's image as a good party town. Moreover, the city is a cultural mecca with its own symphony orchestra, theaters, museums and a zoo.

Learn more about Haifa.

Virtual Tour content provided by the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise(AICE). To find more information about the sites on our tripand general facts about Israel visit the Virtual Israel Experience at AICE's Web site.