To the Holy Land - Jerusalem

Shortly after Christmas Eve, we went to Ben Gurion Airport via Istanbul. Upon arrival, we took a bus to Jerusalem, where our journey was supposed to start.

This went smoothly, as bus 485 runs 24 hours from Ben Gurion Airport to the city of Jerusalem. From Terminal 3, you can find the bus stop on the 3rd level. Leave the airport building, cross the street, and keep right. The one-way trip costs 16 NIS. Thanks to the 'Maps.me' app, you can easily track the bus route without internet and get off at your stop.

Unfortunately, it only worked half as well for us, so we had to walk back a bit.

From our hostel, you could walk to Jaffa Gate. Once we arrived in the Old City, we let ourselves be carried away and curiously admired the new goods in the market. The differences between the four neighborhoods (Jewish, Armenian, Christian, and Muslim) are clearly noticeable. The Armenian quarter is the quietest of all. Besides the different ethnic groups, we also visited some sights. First, the Western Wall, a place that can only be entered after a security check. Even for non-believers, it is a mystical place. Women and men are separated here. You can get pens and paper at small mobile stands at the beginning. Then, we walked a part of the Via Dolorosa, which ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This church, which is actually 5 churches in one, is worth seeing just for its structure.

At the end of the day, we went to the Mount of Olives, which offers a beautiful view of the Old City. The Jewish cemetery here is also interesting.

For lunch, we recommend a visit to the Christ Church Coffeeshop. Contrary to what the name suggests, they also offer a lunch menu from 12:00 to 14:00 (in the coffeeshop to the left and then up the stairs). The buffet with soup costs 60 NIS and includes a salad bar, dessert, and water. But there are also other options that are cheaper (e.g. without soup for 50 NIS).

If you want to experience the Old City from a different perspective, we recommend taking a walk on the city walls. After the entrance through Jaffa Gate, there is a shop on the left with the sign 'Ticket Office' where you can buy tickets for 18 NIS. These tickets are valid for two days. We first walked the northern route, which starts right next to the shop. Here, you get a constantly changing view of courtyards. You can walk on the wall and enjoy the view until the Herod's Gate. Then, you have to walk back through the city to Jaffa Gate. The second entrance for the southern route is outside the wall on the left side. We found this section less beautiful than the northern route. On the southern route, you can walk until the Dung Gate, which is located near the Western Wall and the entrance to the Temple Mount. The city walls are open until 4:00 PM in the afternoon.

In the evening, it is worth visiting the Mahane Yehuda Market at Davidka Square. In addition to all kinds of food, you can also eat here and there are some bars. But be careful, don't come too late, otherwise the stalls will already be closed!