Jezreel Valley
Discover Jezreel Valley
The Jezreel Valley lies between the Carmel Range and the coastal plain to the west and Beit She'an Valley to the east. It stretches from the mountains of the Lower Galilee in the north to the Shomron mountains in the south. The Jezreel Valley is the only place where the Holy Land can be crossed without travelling through mountainous areas. As a result, in ancient times the Jezreel Valley was an important trade route, and various important battles between Middle Eastern powers took place in this region. One of the most important battles occurring here was the Battle of Ain Jalut (1260), held where the modern village of Ein Harod is, in which the Muslim Mamluk forces defeated the forces of the Mongol Empire, and stopped them from advancing further westward.
Taste of Jezreel Valley...
Not available
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThere are several bus lines that pass through the Jezreel Valley, originating from Haifa and Tel Aviv, all passing through the central bus station in Afula, and many of them continue northwards to Tiberias and various other cities in the Lower Galilee and Upper Galilee. Local buses to smaller towns, villages, or sites can be very infrequent, so check the schedule in advance online or at the Afula central bus station information centre. The Jezreel Valley railway line runs the length of the valley, from Haifa to Beit Shean with stops in Yokneam-Kfar Yehoshua, Migdal Haemek-Kfar Baruch, and Afula. Trains are hourly. Unfortunately, the stops tend to be in remote locations outside cities. The Jezreel Valley line had been abandoned in the 1940s only to be rebuilt in the 2010s as part of a major resurgence of rail transport in Israel. While the old line was built to a narrow gauge, the new line is standard gauge....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The main roads in the Jezreel Valley go through Afula, so you will probably have to go there. The valley is pretty quiet. Most dos are in and around Afula, and generally driving from one sight to the other.