The most liberal of the cities of Israel, scented with local cuisine, with wide, sandy beaches and extraordinary architecture. Tel Aviv is on the joint of European and Arabic cultures.
The city is situated by the Mediterranean Sea and was founded in 1909 on the outskirts of the ancient port Jaffa. Thanks to rapid growth, the new area is significantly different than the port one, that got frozen in the Arabic past. The white city of Tel Aviv is on the UNESCO list as the biggest aggregation of modern architecture. According to the Bible, prophet Jonas set off to Tarshish from Jaffa.
The most unique historical treasures are located in the oldest part of the city, the former port town Jaffa. Its biggest development was in the 19th century. Silk and oranges were traded there. Today in port’s docks there are plenty of restaurants and cafes.
You can get souvenirs in nearby shops. On your way back from port, step by Adina Plastelina to get original jewellery, visit 613 Pomegranate Wine to get a bottle of local wine and buy beautifully decorated tableware at Irit Goldberg. Further in the streets of old Jaffa there is Flea Market, where you can get everything from jewellery, clothes, old furniture through souvenirs from the past, decorations to fresh fruits.
Tel Aviv has 14 km of beaches. Some of them are open to public, others like Hof HaDatim are enclosed by high walls and restricted by orthodox rules – there are separate days for sunbathing of women and men.
Parks are precious treasure in the city full of buildings. The biggest of them, Park ha-Jarkon, consists of six gardens. You can find there sport facilities, botanic gardens, aviary, waterpark, a lake with a tame and two concert stages.
What food do you have to try in Tel Aviv? Above all falafels. The best one you will get in Falafel Hakosem at Shlomo Hamelech street and in Falafel Gabay at Bograshov. At Shakshukia by Ben Yehuda street you can eat traditional cholent, a stew very characteristic for Jewish cuisine.
