Beer Sheva

From MaxTravelz

Be'er Sheva (also spelled Beersheba, Hebrew באר שבע) is a desert city of approximately 200,000 inhabitants in southern Israel - the fourth largest city in the country. Beer Sheva is very much the gateway to the Negev region of Israel. The layout is very spread out, as there is no shortage of land in the desert. There isn't much of a downtown, except for a few streets in the old Arab quarter. While Beer Sheva is mostly middle class, it does have three wealthy satellite suburbs with manicured landscapes, private villas and a Palm Springs feel to them: Omer, Metar and Lehavim. A few Bedouin villages surround the city as well, which were built when the government forced these nomadic Arabic tribes into permanent housing and modern lifestyles. Some feature tribal attractions which are worth a visit: Tel Sheva, Hura and others. In Beer Sheva some modern/experimental architecture has been explored in the 60s, mostly in government and public buildings, including the Ben Gurion University and Soroka Hospital buildings. A very comfortable train ride links the city to Tel Aviv with hourly departures. Remember that summers are hot!

Contents

See

  • Abraham's Well
  • Israel Air Force Museum

Do

  • A few miles south is a modern desert spa facility, an oasis with natural hot mineral water springs "Neve Midbar". Hanging water pipes dump hot spring water on your back with such intensity, its like a Shiatsu without the massuese! Opens till late. 45 Shekels entrance ($10).
  • Go clubbing at the Forum Club or the "Q"
  • Play Billiard at "Interpol" or Bowling next door to it

Eat

24 hour dining at Nafis located at the BIG mega shopping compound There are also Chinese, Brazilian and Indian restaurants in town which are pricy and not recommended

Get out

Beer Sheva is a convenient departure point for excursions to Arad and elsewhere in the Negev. Two good rental car agencies across from the train station (daily rate for automatic 200 Shekels - $45 on a walk in basis), but be careful' police inspectors are on the lookout for traffic and parking violations

Stay

Hotel Paradise, 4 Hennrieta Szold St Hotel Arava, 37 Histadrut st Hotel Neot Midbar, 247 Toviyahu Blvd Hotel Eshel, 56 Histadrut st Hotel Hanegev, 26 Independence


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