Description

The First Week of the Via Palma Pilgrimage: The Physical Part

Day 1: Acre

Our journey begins around noon in Acre. Pilgrims are advised to leave their cars in Haifa and travel to Acre via train or bus. Our first experience includes savoring hummus in the Old City and delving into the Crusader heritage of Acre, with a special focus on the knights’ halls. We’ll partake in a ceremonial issuing of the pilgrim’s passport within these historic halls before enjoying dinner at the port. The day concludes with an evening lecture on Via Palma and the tradition of pilgrimage, followed by an overnight stay in Acre.

Day 2: Acre to Haifa

Departing on foot from the Old City, we journey along the coast to Kibbutz Ein Hamifratz. Our path then takes us eastward to the Naaman River, through a splendid, lesser-known area of water streams, leading to the Ein Afek Nature Reserve where we’ll explore a Crusader farm. Our trek continues to Kiryat Ata and Nahal Kishon, ending in Haifa’s north-eastern Christian quarter of Wadi Salib. We stay overnight in Haifa, at Louis Hotel or a similar establishment, with an evening lecture on the ideals of chivalry.

Day 3: Haifa and the Carmel

The day begins on Christian Haifa Church Road, moving towards the old city part of Haifa. We visit Bat Galim beach, Eliyahu’s Cave, and the Stella Maris Monastery, the Carmelite Order’s heart. Our pilgrimage proceeds to Mount Carmel’s churches, through the Carmel Ridge to the Kababir neighborhood, and on to Nahal Siach, the original settlement of the Carmelite Monks during the Middle Ages. We ascend back to the Carmel Ridge, heading to Khirbet Rushmiya, the resting place of Saint Denis of France and a Crusader fortress, where we’ll spend the night in Haifa, capped with an evening lecture on the Carmelite Order.

Day 4: Khirbet Rushmiya to Tirat Carmel

Starting at Khirbet Rushmiya, particularly if a visit was not possible the previous day, we move towards the Horev center on the Carmel, and on to Ramat Eshkol neighborhood, descending through Nahal Ovadia to Tirat Carmel. Our exploration includes a visit to the Ovadia Cave and observing Crusader remnants. This marks the conclusion of the pilgrimage’s first week.

Price:

Upon request