Safed (Tzfat) – Full Visitors Guide – The city of Kabbalah

Safed (Tzfat) is one of the four holy cities. Moreover, it is the highest city in Israel and is located in the northern region.

Map

Interactive map of the area:

And here is a map for tourists:

Note: you can click on the map to enlarge it.

Directions

If you reach Safed by public transport, you will probably take a bus. You can also take the train to Carmiel and take a bus from there. Here is an already preset link to Moovit, where you can enter your starting point and get updated directions.

Parking

In case you are driving, you will need to find parking. On two occasions, we parked near the Saraya. There is parking in front and behind it (at Aliya Bet street). There are parking places near Citadel Park (on Hativat Yiftach road). And as the sign suggests, there is also parking at Keren HaYesod street, below the Artists’ quarter. There are others, but remember that most are paid parking (blue and white curb). You can pay at a parking meter or via an app (see useful apps). I do not remember the exact price, but it was around 2.5 NIS per hour. In any case, I would suggest not entering the Old City since it is very dense and the chances of finding a place are slim.

What does Safed mean?

There is no consensus about what is the origin of the name Safed. But the name Safed (Tzfat) resembles the Hebrew word for observing. Moreover, since Safed is the highest city in Israel, it is an excellent observation point. And according to this questionnaire by the Ministry of Education, Tzfat received its name since you can see both the Middeternian Sea and the Sea Of Galilee.

What will this guide cover?

During the last year, we visited Safed three times. On our first visit, we joined a guided tour. The overview tour showed us the Old City, the Artists’ quarter, and other famous places like Abuhav Synagogue and Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue.

We returned later that year to attend the most popular event in Tzfat, the annual Klezmer Festival.

And our third visit was to see places we did not have time for during our first stay. We headed to the Underground Tunnels and tasted the original Safed Cheese.

This guide will not cover famous burial sites near the city, like Kever Rashbi (Tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai).

Weather

I want to start this section by presenting data from Events And Festivals By Season.

Safed is the highest city in Israel. Thus, as expected, the temperatures will be lower, and rainfall will be more substantial.

Therefore, from the weather perspective, you can visit Safed all year round. But I would suggest keeping a close eye on the weather during the winter. Rain and slippery sidewalks are half the problem. Sometimes it starts snowing in the city. And though it will be a lovely experience, you might find yourself under a blockade (as all transport halts).

When Not To Visit Safed?

In the previous section, we discussed the weather aspect. But there is also a religious one. Safed is a religious Jewish city. Thus most places will close on Friday afternoon and open only on Sunday. Therefore, do not visit the town on Saturday and Friday afternoon (you can come on Friday morning and tour up to noon or one o’clock).

Tours

As I mentioned, we joined an overview tour on our first visit. When planning the trip, I saw an offer we could not refuse: a free overview tour on the Safed municipality website. I do not see this tour anymore, but they started to offer a wide variety of excursions. Regardless of what you choose, know that taking a tour can be a good option for getting familiar with the town and not getting lost (in the old city) in the process.

While walking in the Old City, I saw this ad for a virtual guide in Tzfat. It is an app called Simtaot. I have not used it, but you might find it helpful.

Saraya

And now, after all the introduction, let’s start with the first visit.

We parked near the Saraya. And here is what a sign tells about this place:

A mid-18th-century structure built by Zahir al-Umar, the Bedouin ruler of Galilee, as a palace for his son Ail, governor of Safed. In 1775, when Zahir al-Umar fell from power, the central Turkish government took over the building. A hundred years later, the building was identified by a British survey as a Turkish khan (inn). At the end of the 19th century, it was restored and transformed into the “Saraya” to house the local Turkish administrator. The square clock tower was added in 1900 in honor of Sultan Abed-el-Hamid II.

In the Mandatory period, the British administration took over the Saraya. During the 1929 Arab riots, all the Jews of Safed were headed into the British’s Saraya courtyard to shelter them from their Arab attackers. Two of the Jews were shot by an Arab policeman assigned to protect them.

During the War of Independence, the Saraya became the central Arab headquarters. Upon the liberation of the city, it was taken over by the Israel Defense Forces. Later is served as a nursing home, and in 1975, after extensive renovation, it became the Isaac and Edith Wolfson community center.

From the Saraya, we followed Aliya Bet street, then turned left on Jerusalem street and followed it (including a left turn) till Tzfat city hall.

Davidka Square

We headed to Davidka Square, near the municipality building, since it was the starting point of our tour.

The Davidka (“Little David”) was a homemade Israeli mortar used in Safed and Jerusalem during the early stages of the 1948 1947–1949 Palestine war. Its bombs were reported to be extremely loud but very inaccurate and otherwise of little value beyond terrifying opponents; they proved particularly useful in scaring away both Arab soldiers and civilians. It is nominally classified as a 3-inch (76.2 mm) mortar, although the bomb was considerably larger.

Source: Wikipedia

Davidka was named after its inventor David Leibowitch, but the reference to David and Goliath is inevitable.

The City Police Station

And near the Davidka, you can find the remains of a British police station.