Discover Israel's hidden gems

Israel is a land blessed with a beautiful landscape of olive groves and palms, dramatic deserts and mountains, and the sparkling blue waters of inland seas and the Mediterranean.

It's also a country with a past as rich and fascinating as any in the world, with many places appearing in the Bible, classical history or the story of the Crusades. And perhaps nowhere in the world has an atmosphere quite like Jerusalem, a city sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims. Highlights here include the atmospheric alleyways of the Old Town, the gold-plated Dome of the Rock, Temple Mount and the Western ('Wailing') Wall.

Jesus's birthplace of Bethlehem is just a short drive south in the West Bank, while the clifftop fortress of Masada to the north was once the scene of a Roman siege that ended in tragedy.

Sun-worshippers will appreciate the idyllic beaches along the Mediterranean, and coastal hotspots such as Haifa, Caesarea, Jaffa and Acre all have a tale to tell. For a different kind of experience, take a dip in the Dead Sea, where the high salt content allows swimmers to float.

There really is so much to see and do - why not discover Israel's hidden gems on your next holiday?

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