Mesilat Zion and the Surrounding Area
Accommodation in Mesilat Zion
If you are considering Mesilat Zion as a travel destination, it is also worth exploring the surrounding area in Eshtaol Forest. There you will find an orange-marked forest road, additional picnic areas, trails with different routes, and several memorial sites. The locations differ in their routes and themes: some help with navigation through the forest, while others connect a picnic area with the landscape or history.
Routes and Navigation in Eshtaol Forest
In nearby Eshtaol Forest, an approximately 3.5-kilometer-long, orange-marked road runs from the O'Higgins Picnic Area to the access road to Mesilat Zion. It is passable by private cars; there are additional picnic areas in the forest along the road. Road conditions may vary, so check for current updates before driving. O'Higgins as the starting point, the access road as the endpoint, and the orange markings help identify the route described.
East of the O'Higgins Picnic Area, a trail passes a pine forest; pine seeds are pine nuts. The Path of Friendship follows a different route: after about half a kilometer, it branches north from the main road and rejoins it approximately 300 meters later. Unlike the road description, the focus here is on the direction of the turnoff and the return to the main road. The two routes can thus be distinguished by the features specified for each.
Picnic Areas and Memorial Sites
The Yonatan Picnic Area is near the point where the road meets the access road to Mesilat Zion. A short path leads from there to children's play equipment. This makes it different from O'Higgins for planning purposes: at Yonatan, the short path to the play equipment is noted, while O'Higgins is the starting point of the road route described. Check KKL-JNF's current travel advisories before visiting.
A monument to SimĂłn BolĂvar (1783–1830), an Argentine military leader, stands along the path through Eshtaol Forest. Another memorial site is a picnic area along the path dedicated to JosĂ© de San MartĂn (1778–1850). San MartĂn was an Argentine military leader and statesman, as well as a prominent figure in the movement to liberate Latin America from Spanish rule. The descriptions emphasize different things: BolĂvar's name is the focus at the monument, while San MartĂn's role is also placed in its historical context.
HaArba'a Picnic Area includes parts of an ancient olive press. The same area offers a view of the Sorek Stream basin. Here, archaeological traces and a landscape view come together at a named location in Eshtaol Forest.
Jerusalem as a Distinct Cultural Context
The broader destination of Jerusalem has another, distinctly urban area of interest. The Old City of Jerusalem and its walls are of great symbolic significance to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and include 220 historical monuments. The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City was built in the 7th century. Jerusalem Walls National Park is located in the center of Jerusalem and includes historical, archaeological, and religious sites. It was designated to preserve historical, archaeological, traditional, architectural, and landscape values for public benefit. The forest trails, picnic areas, and memorial sites in Eshtaol Forest thus stand in contrast to a distinct cultural focus in Jerusalem.
Discover more destinations: Aderet, Abu Gosh, Yad Hashmona, Jerusalem, Harel, Giv'at Ye'arim, Li On, Tal Shahar.
Go to the broader travel overview: Jerusalem.
