ISRAEL21c takes a look at some of the country’s most popular tourist sites, from Masada and Ein Gedi, to Caesarea and the Eilat observatory.
Israel is home to some of the world’s most spectacular scenery, archeological finds and historical sites. No wonder, then, that the number of visitors to tourist spots is on the upswing.
Business information gurus Dun & Bradstreet, put together a top 10 list of the most visited paid tourist sites in Israel.
Most popular on the list is the ancient Masada fortress, site of the first-century great revolt of the Jews against the Romans, and today a symbol of heroism. In 2010, Masada, near the Dead Sea, saw some 762,990 visitors.
The other top sites were Jerusalem’s Tisch Family Zoological Gardens; Caesarea National Park on the Mediterranean coast; the Banias Nature Reserve up north; Ramat Gan’s Safari Park; Ein Gedi Nature Reserve; Hamat Gader hot springs in the Golan Heights; Eilat’s Underwater Observatory Marine Park; the caves of Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in 1947; and the Yamit 2000 Water Park just outside of Tel Aviv.