I’ve lived inHaifa for 8 years now, and yet I’d visited our neighbor Acre only once in all those years.
So when I was looking for a city to explore in Israel, I decided to vary things and not go toTel Aviv or Jerusalem, but rather to our northern neighbor.
The visit was very short, so I decided to focus on touring the sites of Old Acre.
I contacted the Old Acre Development Company and with their help we built a guided route around Old Acre.
The Old Acre Development Company: The Old Acre Development Company Ltd. is a government company under the Ministry of Tourism. The company’s roles are: developing the Old City and turning it into an international tourist city.
A Route Around Old Acre
We started the day wandering among the market stalls and the Acre port.
We enjoyed the view from the walls of Acre toward Haifa, watching the fishermen on the pier and the sea breeze.
The Old Acre Port
The port of Acre is one of the oldest active ports in the world. It was first mentioned in the campaign to conquer Egypt in 525 to 527 BCE. In the Crusader period the port served for trade with various countries, was very important, and gave Acre the status of a capital city. After the Ottoman conquest the port was neglected and began to be used as an anchorage for fishing boats, and since then many fishermen have based themselves there, to this day. In recent years, restaurants, cafés, shops, museums and galleries have opened around the Acre port. The port is no longer commercially active, but it serves as a source of livelihood for the fishermen who still moor their fishing boats in the marina. The port is also used for water-sports tourist attractions, such as a boat trip around the Old City walls, a ride on a tornado speedboat, or diving and snorkeling trips in the pier area.
The Old City Market in Acre
A lovely, colorful market where you’ll find stalls of fish, fruit, vegetables and Middle Eastern sweets, spice shops, household goods and more.
Inside the market you’ll also find the famous Hummus Said; we were less keen on the hummus, but that’s a matter of personal taste.
Coming for a day trip to the city and want to get to know all of Acre’s fascinating historical sites?
I recommend starting the day with a short introductory film at the visitor center.
In addition, at the visitor center you can buy an all-inclusive ticket for all the main tourist sites in the Old City of Acre: the Knights’ Halls (the Hospitaller Fortress), the Okashi Museum, the Templars’ Tunnel, the hammam and the Treasures in the Wall museum.
The Hospitaller Fortress
The Crusader fortress, also called the Hospitaller Fortress, is considered one of the most impressive fortresses in the world.
The fortress was one of UNESCO’s reasons for granting Acre the title of World Heritage City.
The fortress was built in the 12th century by the knights of the Hospitaller order.
The Hospitallers were a monastic military order whose purpose was to care for the sick in the Holy Land.
Archaeologists have uncovered the fortress piece by piece over decades, and the work isn’t finished yet.
Visitors to the fortress can mainly admire the remains of the first floor of the Hospitaller fortress, because the upper floors were destroyed in the Ottoman conquest. Above the archaeological site is the Ministry of Defense’s Underground Prisoners Museum.
The Okashi Museum
The museum is named after Avshalom Okashi (1916 to 1980). This artist was one of the most important Israeli painters and left his mark on the art of the Land of Israel. He spent most of his years in Acre, created and established his painting workshop, which after his death became the “Okashi Art Museum”. The museum sits in an ancient cross-vaulted building from the Ottoman period, and presents changing exhibitions of Israeli art alongside a permanent display of the works of the artist Okashi. At the time of our visit the changing exhibition was by an artist named Hava Wolf, a Holocaust survivor who paints colorful paintings and writes poems about the childhood she spent in the Transnistria camp.
The Templars' Tunnel
The Templars’ Tunnel leads from the Templar palace, which was destroyed in 1291 and sank into the sea in the west, to the Acre port in the east.
The tunnel is underground, beneath the streets of Old Acre.
The tunnel was discovered only in 1994, after a resident of a house above it complained about a blocked sewer, and while checking the problem one of the inspectors fell into the tunnel. Along the tunnel, a wooden floor and lighting have been installed, as well as a pump system that maintains the sea water level in the tunnel.
The Turkish Hammam
This isn’t a hammam where you’ll get a treatment and a body scrub, but a hammam that serves as a museum where you can discover the story of the last bath attendant.
At the entrance to the hammam you’ll get headphones, and along the hammam’s walls you can enjoy a film projection explaining the importance of the hammam, the history of the place and the culture of the Ottoman community.
“Hammam al-Basha” was built at the end of the 18th century by Jazzar Pasha, the governor of Acre. For about 150 years, from its construction until the 1948 war, the hammam functioned as an active bathhouse.
The Treasures in the Wall Museum
The “Treasures in the Wall” museum is housed in the eastern wall of Old Acre.
The museum’s purpose is to preserve the city’s fascinating historical heritage.
The museum displays hundreds of objects presenting the traditional craftsmen who worked in the markets.
A Map of the Old City of Acre
For your convenience I’ve created a map with the attractions of Old Acre.
On the map you’ll find more attractions we didn’t manage to visit.
In addition, I’ve pinned more attractions in the Acre area on the map.
Want to learn how to create a map like this? Click here.
What to Do at Night in Acre?
As of writing these lines, there aren’t many nighttime attractions in Acre. Nightlife in Acre is almost nonexistent; there’s one pub in the Old City area and that’s about it. But you’ll find quite a few different arts festivals in Acre throughout the year. So once you’ve decided to take a holiday in Acre, I recommend checking whether, and which, festival is taking place on your dates. Click here: to go to the events calendar for 2021.
And the Main Thing: Where Are the Best Hummus and Knafeh?
Hummus and knafeh are a matter of personal taste. So it’s important for me to correct the heading: and the main thing, where are the best hummus and knafeh in my opinion?
Hummus Abu Suhail
After trying several hummus places I connected with less, I came, on the recommendation of a local acquaintance, to Hummus Abu Suhail.
The hummus is tasty and fresh, without a lot of unnecessary additions.
Every dish comes with a plate of spicy red sauce.
Kashash Sweets
Usually hummus doesn’t sit well with me unless I combine it with good knafeh.
Following recommendations I came to Kashash Sweets, located in the heart of the market, and I was happy.
A portion of excellent knafeh costs only ₪10.
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Do you have more recommendations for a visit to Acre?
I’d be happy if you share them with us in the comments.
Happy travels,
Shir-Yam
