Haas Promenade, properly known as the “Tayelet” in Hebrew, offers fantastic views of the entire Jerusalem landscape. From this vantage point, one can see the entire Old City in just one glance. It definitely is a great way to get your bearings of Jerusalem before heading out into the city itself.
Upon our arrival in Jerusalem, the Haas Promenade provided our group an awe-inspiring view. Nothing can compare to the most panoramic view of Jerusalem.
We shared a loaf of freshly baked challah and sipped some wine. And took a cheesy group photo- but how could we not?
After taking some beautiful photos of the gorgeous panoramic views, we couldn’t leave without some photos of us!
As you can see, it was kind of windy up there. And that’s Cornelious, a friendly lizard who made it into more than a few of our photos…. all the way from a fishbowl back in NYC.
Although one of Israel’s most famous overlooks, this is an easy-to-miss attraction if you will, without knowing about it beforehand. Unwalkable from the main city (4 miles from the city center) and without many signs pointing to the promenade, it is no wonder so many fail to notice this location. No restaurants or souvenir shops can be found here either.
I highly urge you to ask some locals to point you in the right direction.
What you can see from the Haas Promenade:
Our group was able to see both the Old and the New from this promenade in the south of Jerusalem.
At the center of these spectacular panoramic views, you will see the Dome of the Rock glinting in the sun. This area, known as the Old City of Jerusalem, is surrounded by walls. If you want to get up close and person with this ray of sunshine, but sure to visit the Dome of the Rock in the middle of Jerusalem. I wish we had time to, but unfortunately, did not. Guess there’s always next time.
If you take your eyes beyond the walls of the Old City and look left, you can see New Jerusalem, comprised of modern white buildings and red cranes.
You can even see the Dead Sea on a clear day. We unfortunately did not, unless I totally missed it because honestly, I had no idea what I was looking at until our guides chimed in. You caught me- I didn’t do my research beforehand (whoops!)
One can also view the several scattered Arab villages around the outskirts of Jerusalem. It is crazy to know how close these Arab villages are to the Israeli ones, yet the two never cross paths.
Theres not much you can’t see from Haas Promenade!
What to know if you plan on visiting (and you should!):
- The park’s lights turn off at 11:30pm. Visitors are encouraged to avoid visiting the area alone at night (it is not well lit and is far from the center of town).
- Make sure you bring a camera, one with a decent zoom available, if you plan on photographing the Dome of the Rock from afar. Without one, you won’t be able to clearly see the intricacies the golden dome has to offer.
- The park has many walking trails throughout the area, as well as wonderful grasslands for picnics. Although one long walkway, it is actually comprised of another three (the Walter and Elise Haas Promenade, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Promenade, and the Gabriel Sherover Promenade). The length of the walkways will take you about 10-15 minutes to walk. You can enjoy the city of Jerusalem spread out at your feet from the heights of any of these landscaped walkways.
- If you plan on having a picnic, be sure to bring along some local snacks found in nearby villages, as there is no other food nearby (or none that we were able to find). There are no restaurants located in the near vicinity, and no souvenir shops at all.
- Although we only had the opportunity to see the Holy City spread out before us during the day, it is worth a second trip at night for the unparalleled panoramic views. Being rather quiet and quite romantic at night, you may catch something special at the wedding hall beneath the promenade. And who doesn’t love a wedding?!?!
Most definitely a must-see site for any first time visitor to Jerusalem.
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Hey!! I stopped here on my trip too 🙂 What a perfect first view on the Jerusalem! ~Ashley
yes, it was a great initial view of the city! really wish I could have gone to the Dome of the Rock up close, because the details look just so amazing. Guess there's always next time!