Biking in the Footsteps of Jesus
Jesus may never have ridden a bicycle, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't consider using one to see His country. One of the great things about Israel is that because it is a small, sunny country bicycles are a great way to see the place - they avoid the traffic jams on the roads and they also give you a chance to see parts of the country you won't see on a bus tour. A few highlights:
Tel Aviv-Jaffa
Tel Aviv is ideally suited for bicycle enthusiasts. Besides boasting a large number of bike paths and scenic boulevards, there is ample bicycle parking throughout the city. Be sure to take your bike down to the old Jaffa port where you can experience a taste of what the land of Israel was like when Jesus lived. Here, you'll see the shuk, which has existed for hundreds of years and you can visit some of the churches there, such as the Church of St. Peter, The Lebanese Marronic church and of course the famous House of Simon the Tanner (where the miracle of the unclean foods was performed). You should also be sure to check out the grave of St. Tabitha, who was brought back from the dead by St. Peter.
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Be sure that wherever you leave your bike in Tel Aviv it is very securely locked up and not left out for too long. There is unfortunately a very active community of bike thieves in the city and poorly secured bikes are easy targets for them.
Jerusalem
Unlike Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Jerusalem is an extremely hilly city and not as well suited for bicycling. Still, one can find some nice places to ride a bike, including the Jerusalem Forest (where you can also find Yad Vashem, the memorial to the holocaust) and the Haas Promenade, which offers idyllic views of the old city of Jerusalem.
Galilee
More Christian history happened here than anywhere else in Israel (save possibly for Jerusalem itself) and while bike paths are again not plentiful, it is possible to see many parts of the area with a bike. In fact, the Galilee regional council recently sponsored a professional bicycle contest in the area. More information of available bike paths can be found on the Go Galilee web site and on the site (in Hebrew only, so get someone to translate for you) of the sponsors of the recent event, Gan Sport.
Note :Ecobike offers organized daily bike tours in Jerusalem and other locations on request. Half day Biking tours in Jerusalem cost $330 for 2 people and $25 for every additional cyclist. A Galilee bike tour costs $455 for 2 people and $30 for every additional cyclist.
If you wish to join a bike tour: contact http://www.ecobike.co.il or tomer@ecobike.co.il. Join Travelujah and receive a 10% discount on any eco bike tour.
