We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on our web pages. We share images and information with Wikipedia. We also donate to Wikipedia, & would suggest that others do the same. Kiryat Shmona is located in the Finger of the Galilee next to the Hula Valley, about 5 kilometres (3 miles) south and 2 km (1 mile) east of the Israel�Lebanon border. Its elevation is about 150 metres (492 feet) above sea level. The town of Kiryat Shmona was established in May 1949 on the site of the former Bedouin village Al-Khalisa, whose inhabitants fled the village after Safed was gained by Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.[3] Initially it was used as a transit camp for Jewish immigrants and refugees who worked mainly in farming. In 1953, it was classified as a development town. The town is named after eight members of nearby Tel Hai who were killed in 1920 during the Arab revolt against the French. The town has a cable car link with Manara above in the Naftali mountain range and also is home to an activity center and toboggan run located in the south of the town. Kiryat Shmona, Israel�s northernmost city, nestles in the Hula Valley, in the heart of one of the most beautiful nature and tourism regions. The city is named in memory of the eight fallen heroes of the 1920 battle over nearby Tel Hai (Shmona is the Hebrew word for eight). Kiryat Shmona was founded in 1949 on the ruins of the Arab village of Khalsa, as a transit camp for immigrants who worked mainly in farming, and over the years the city was built and industries developed there. There are currently a number of successful manufacturing plants in Kiryat Shmona, although the city serves mainly as a commercial and tourism center for the surrounding communities. The southern entrance to Kiryat Shmona is at the bottom of Manara cliff, the site of Israel�s longest scenic cable car (1,900 meters), which takes visitors up the high cliffs to Kibbutz Manara. The site has a breathtaking observation point overlooking the Hula Valley and the surrounding area, a restaurant, hiking path, activities for children, a challenging sports center with a climbing wall and the longest omega in Israel, with the steepest slope in the world (!). Visitor can also rappel down a 42-meter cliff face ride on an all-terrain bicycle trail with bicycles that can be rented on site. Shehumit hill rises on the east side of Kiryat Shmona, offering an panoramic view of the city and the northern Hula Valley. Not far from here is the municipal Golden Park, built on both sides of the route of the Ein Zahav (Golden Spring) Stream. At the center of the park are broad lawns and small forest of poplar and Syrian ash trees. A flour mill from the Ottoman Period (1517-1917) still stands beside the stream, and in the north part of the park there is a small mosque made of checkered basalt and chalk stone, a remnant of the Arab village. The mosque now houses a museum of Kiryat Shmona�s history, including a photographic exhibition from the city�s early days and an audiovisual program documenting the city�s development. The old inn near the city center is an ancient building that once served as a castle. The inn is made of chiseled stone adorned with arches and has a small courtyard and a theater in the center. This building is now used as an arts center and hosts various events. Kiryat Shmona offers tourists guest rooms, restaurants, shopping centers and entertainment, and surrounding the city are many streams and natural and historic sites, including Khurshat Tal National Park, the Hula Valley Nature Reserve, the Tel Dan Nature Reserve and Tel Hai.

The easy way to get to Kiryat Shmona, is to fly into the Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport is at the junction of the Haifa, Jerusalem, Dan, and Tel Aviv metropolitan areas. The Ben Gurion International Airport, (IATA: TLV, ICAO: LLBG), also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag, is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel. It was named the best airport in the Middle East by the ACI organisation.[ The airport is located near the city of Lod, 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv. It is operated by the Israel Airports Authority, a government-owned corporation that manages all public airports and border crossings in the State of Israel. The Ben Gurion International Airport is considered one of the world's most secure airports, with a security force that includes both police officers and IDF soldiers. There are several hotels in or near Jerusalem. There are several Guided Tour Agencies offering standard city, and historical tours of Jerusalem, Israel and the surrounding areas. After arranging your flight we would suggest getting your hotel and then letting them arrange tours of the area for you. If you call the hotels Concierge Services ahead of your arrival, all of this can be pre-arranged for you. I do this all the time. It is safe and it works!!! I have never experienced a problem doing it this way! I have links to Priceline.Com on our page so that you can arrange your flight and hotel in the Jerusalem, Israel area.