One of the last places on our must-see list was the city of Tzfat (Safed, Tsfat, Zefat - however you want to spell it). Although we had heard mixed reviews about the city, some people love it, others say it's not what it used to be, we were looking forward to checking it out.
Tzfat is one of the four holy cities in Judaism and has long been a center of Kabbalah (or Jewish mysticism). It is still home to a large Kabbalistic community as well as a large artist colony. Perched on the top of a mountain in the northern Galilee, Tzfat affords beautiful views of the valleys below. Unfortunately, the day we visited was hazy, and the Sea of Galilee barely visible, but the scenery was breathtaking nonetheless. The road up the mountain winds through vineyards and olive groves. We were too busy concentrating on the hairpin turns to take any pictures!
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| The view to the north from a rooftop observation deck |
We spent most of the day wandering around two of Tzfat's most famous neighborhoods. The Artists' Quarter and the Synagogue Quarter. There were all sorts of beautiful things for sale, but unfortunately, since Tzfat is such a known tourist destination, the prices were a bit inflated. By visiting the artists in their studios rather than shopping at galleries, we did manage to find some pieces of art and Judaica to take home.
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| Just one of the many art pieces throughout Tzfat. This one depicts the zodiac in ceramic tiles. |
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| A door to one of the many synagogues |
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| A giant havdalah candle at the Safed Candle Company |
We found Tzfat to be a beautiful place to spend a day and would definitely recommend it. If you plan on shopping, just make sure you have an idea of how much things generally cost so you don't pay too much for something you could get elsewhere. Of course, there are beautiful one-of-a-kind items that are well worth the money and it's great to support the local artists that call Tzfat their home.
More pictures of our trip here:
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| Tzfat |
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