100 Years Young: Tel Aviv, a Tourist's Guide
Author: Tomer Harel

The City that Never Stops, The White City, or simply, Tel
Aviv, kissing the beautiful Mediterranean to the west, is
perhaps one of the best cities for tourists in the world.
In this one city, tourists have concerts, films (in
English!), dancing, some of the best food in the entire
globe, water sports, and a beautiful beach. Tel Aviv is a
cosmopolitan center for shopping, culture, arts, and
leisure, and is also an architectural jewel. Though only
one hundred years young, Tel Aviv's history is as rich as
any rival city in Europe.

Tel Aviv is celebrating its centennial this year, and what
a century it has been for the city that was born out of the
sands just a little to the north of Jaffa. Tel Aviv was
created to be the jewel of the Jewish resettlement of
Israel, a center of culture and European sensibilities.
Designed for beauty, wide boulevards and gardened houses
were the first to be built. Tel Aviv grew haphazardly at
first, but by the 1930's it began to expand in a planned
design. Some of the best examples of the Bauhaus
Architecture school are built in Tel Aviv, and the city has
recently been classified as a "White City" - a city in
which Bauhaus architecture is restored and preserved by the
Bauhaus International Foundation. A walk down Rothschild
Boulevard, the first boulevard in Tel Aviv, provides dozens
of examples of classic Bauhaus buildings with their rounded
terraces.

If you love walking, then Tel Aviv is for you. A promenade
stretches all the way from Jaffa in the south to the Tel
Aviv harbor in the north following the beach, dotted with
beach cafés and restaurants. The exquisite southern
neighborhood of Newe Zedek is filled with lovely little
alleys and houses, galleries and small shops, cafés and
restaurants. A bicycle and foot path has been constructed
along the banks of the Yarkon stream through a lovely green
park. It is possible to rent bicycles and to ride for a day
all the way to the eastern end of the Yarkon, where the old
Ottoman water mills are still visible. It is even lovely
just strolling along Nordau Boulevard under the tall fichus
trees, stopping at any of the numerous kiosks for a glass
of freshly squeezed juice.

Gourmets and gourmands will adore the variety of
restaurants and cafés in Tel Aviv. Fusion is the latest
range in local cuisine, and Asian restaurants sit side by
side with French bistros and American style Diners with the
best hamburgers just about anywhere. A short trip to Jaffa
provides some of the best middle eastern food available in
the world, whether your passion is hummus, baba ganoush, or
the famous Israeli Salad with lots of olive oil and lemon
and really fresh tomatoes. If you just want a little rest
while wandering, sit in one of the hundreds of sidewalk
cafés and order an espresso or latte, and just enjoy the
sunshine while munching on a freshly made ciabetta roll and
cheese. Some of the restaurants in hotels in Tel Aviv are
considered to be world class, as well.

If art and culture is what you adore, you'll find plenty of
it in the White City. A short walk down Gordon street
provides you with a multitude of galleries to wander into,
exhibiting local and international artists. The Tel Aviv
Museum shows some of the loveliest art in the world, and
always has an intriguing exhibition. Music fans will love
the Israeli Opera house and its internationally acclaimed
productions, rock concerts in the Yarkon Park, and numerous
jazz performances and local Israeli singers in the smaller
venues.

And the best of all, getting to Tel Aviv is an absolute
breeze. There are flights to Israel from hundreds of
airports globally. When arriving, Ben Gurion International
Airport welcomes tourists with a very comfortable and
lovely terminal. A train can take you directly from the
terminal to the center of Tel Aviv, where a taxi to your
hotel can be found easily. The Airport is only a short
30-40 minute drive away, and the train can take even less
time. Those who love shopping will be overjoyed when
arriving at the airport on the way home, since the Israeli
Duty Free shops are famed for their variety and low prices.

With all these advantages, why wait? If you've never
considered Tel Aviv as a place to visit, re-think. Whatever
you love doing for your holiday, you'll find it in Tel
Aviv, after all. And since Israel is such a small country,
Tel Aviv is only a hop and a skip away from other wonderful
attractions such as Caesarea, Acre, Jerusalem, the Sea of
Galilee, and even remote Eilat (only a 5 hour drive or 1
hour flight). Come discover Tel Aviv and celebrate its
centennial!


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