Shefer: Fortress, Spring and Seasonal Stream

If you are looking for a hotel in Shefer, you can choose where to stay based on specific points of interest: Moshav Shefer is home to Shefer Fortress and Ein Ramiel Spring, while the Shefer Recreation Area is nearby. The area’s history and landscape offer different perspectives on your stay.

Nature and water around Shefer

Ein Ramiel Spring, also known as Ein Romila, rises in the Nahal Tzalmon gorge in Moshav Shefer. Both names refer to the same spring.

The Shefer Recreation Area is near the bend in Route 866, which climbs toward Safed. There are picnic tables there, some of which are wheelchair accessible. The nearby recreation area therefore offers both a place to rest and an accessibility feature.

At the end of winter, the stream at the Shefer Recreation Area may flow down the steep slope, forming a long series of small waterfalls. In April, the stream subsides and the water disappears. Exactly when the stream stops flowing is difficult to predict, however, as its course depends on how much rain falls in winter. If the potential waterfalls matter to your plans, consider them a seasonal natural feature, not an event with a fixed calendar date.

Shefer Fortress: name, model and construction period

Shefer Fortress, originally called Faradiya, was built between 1938 and 1939 as part of the British defence system during the Mandate period. It is one of the Tegart forts built by the British in Palestine during and after the Arab Revolt of 1936–1939. The Koah Fortress served as its architectural model: Faradiya is the original name of Shefer Fortress, and Koah is the model.

These details give the fortress several historical points of reference: its name, its construction period and its place in a series of British fortifications. Shefer Fortress is an abandoned building; check its current condition before considering a visit.

Cultural and historical themes in the wider destination of the Northern District

In the wider destination of the Northern District, Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo are distinct archaeological sites. Tel Hazor is a biblical tell with significant remains of a city associated with the Bible; visits focus on the upper city. Tel Hazor includes Solomon’s Gate, a six-chambered gate with two towers dating to the 10th century BCE. The Canaanite palace was used by the kings of Hazor in the 14th and 13th centuries BCE. The Late Bronze Age palace is considered the most elaborate in Israel and one of the most significant in the Levant. The significant remains of the underground water-collection system are also part of the archaeological heritage: they represent sophisticated engineering, adapted to the geographic conditions, for storing water.

Tel Megiddo is one of three tells that preserve significant remains of cities associated with the Bible and are closely linked to events described in it. The Early Bronze Age temple complex is exceptional for the number of its temples, the continuity of its cult activity and its documented ritual practices. A different period is represented by the orthogonal city plan from the Iron Age, which has few parallels in the Levant. These features offer a distinct regional perspective on the archaeological history of the Northern District.

Discover more destinations: Alonei Habashan, Had Nes, Paran, Nir Dawid, Elifelet, Ya'ara, Tur'an, Haon

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