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The route marked in blue is the Spring Trail, inviting hikers to a journey back in time: to a 2000-year-old agricultural settlement, a hidden spring, and a wishing well. The path passes Beit Houri, a farm dating from the Ottoman period. From there it continues to a Herodian palace, a remnant of the fortified farmhouse from the days of King Herod, and to Ein Zur, a spring and aqueduct used for ceremonial purposes during the Byzantine era.
Points of interest: Ein Tzur, a spring that flows year round through a tunnel that was hewn in the rock; a shaded brook; observation points overlooking vistas of Hanadiv Valley and the hills of Samaria; prehistoric agricultural areas (reconstructed); an ancient bath house; a rich archaeological complex; and the remains of a farmhouse from the Ottoman period.
Level: Suitable for families
Colour of markers: Blue
Length: Approximately 2.5 kilometers
Hiking time: Approximately 1.5 hours
Departure point: The trail is circular, starting at the trailhead
Recommended seasons: All year
Emergency telephone for on-duty supervisor (after closing time): 053-6452336
The Trail
From the trailhead, the trail marked in blue turns slightly left towards the southeast, crosses a dirt road, and enters a low scrubland The trail again crosses a dirt road, then proceeds eastward to higher shrubland composed primarily of native plants – phillyrea and mastic shrubs.Emerging from the thickets, the trail pauses at a stunning panorama of Hanadiv Valley and the Samarian hills (Station #1).
1. Observation Point
Spread out below is Hanadiv Valley, cultivated primarily with vineyards and orchards. Immediately south of it lies the moshava (village) of Binyamina. North of Samaria, on the horizon beyond the valley, one can see Mt. Amir, where the towns and villages Umm el-Fahem, Mei Ami, Katzir and Arara are located. To the north are the houses of Zikhron Ya’akov.
The trail continues to a stone step, where a large carob tree is growing
(Station #2).
2. Large Carob Tree
The stone step here indicates the existence of a geological rift line. Beneath the step the top layer of hard limestone has been worn away, exposing the volcanic stone beneath it. The leafy carob tree provides a welcome resting spot for hikers.The trail slopes off to the right, then immediately turns left into a grove of cypresses.
Beyond the fence to the left is a Moslem cemetery that belongs to the old village of Umm el-‘Aleq. The trail continues towards the left and crosses a dirt road. It passes a thorny hedge of ‘Sabra’ cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) bordering the ‘Aleq ruins, and the remains of an oil press, located in the shade of the carob tree (to the left), before reaching a large Tabor oak
(Station #3).
3. Tabor Oak
The Tabor oak(Quercus ithaburensis) is a deciduous native tree that grows abundantly from the Sharon plain to Ramot Menashe, the Galilee and the Golan Heights. Its large acorns are an important source of food for Eurasian jays, rodents, and wild boars. The trail goes down past the area of the spring (to which we shall return), descends into a grove of willow trees, then continues towards the brook.
A wooden footbridge crosses the water, and the trail ‒ now a paved stone path ‒ goes down further to a little wetland
(Station #4).
common tree frogs (Hyla savignyi), marsh frogs (Rana ridibunda), and green toads (Bufo viridis). With the draining of the swamps, exploitation of water sources, and consequent destruction of most of the seasonal ponds in the country, such habitats became rare. The pond here, created to facilitate and encourage the proliferation of plants and animals native to wetlands, also serves as an important on-site laboratory for Ramat Hanadiv’s Education Department.
From here, there are three options:
• A right turn brings walkers to the parking lot of the ORT School.
• A left turn leads hikers up to the trail marked in yellow, culminating at the historic Tel Tzur hill. (It takes about 10 minutes to get to either destination.)
• For those who want to continue walking: The Spring Trail continues straight on, passing an olive grove (on the right) and a Geiger tree notable for its wide leaves (on the left). At the beginning of the 20th century, tests were conducted to see whether this tree could be cultivated for use in the glue industry. Next to it is a hedge of sweet acacia trees which were studied too, for possible commercial use in perfume. The trail returns from here to the grove of willow trees and then ascends metal steps to the bath house (Station #5).
To raise the water level and create a pool within, the opening of the tunnel was blocked.Some 2,100 coins from the Byzantine period (324-638 CE) were discovered beneath this tunnel. A historic source from that period (the ‘Bordeaux Pilgrim’) attributes healing powers to a spring at Har Sinah, near Caesarea. It is likely that this was the pool that attracted pilgrims in those days: women apparently came to bathe here, hoping to enhance their fertility, and dropped the coins into it.
The large reservoir at the end of the aqueduct supplied water to the bath house and fields as well as serving as the bathing pool. When Beit Khouri was established above the archaeological site (approximately 1880), the Ein Tzur reservoir was moved to a new pool built of stone, west of the Roman pool, and its water was pumped up the hill to the farmhouse.
In 1939, a group of young Jews from the Betar youth movement founded a small ‘stockade and tower’ settlement on the hilltop east of the spring, which they named Tel Tzur Hahadasha (the New Tel Tzur). Near the Roman pool they built an additional one of concrete, which provided the settlement’s water needs. As mentioned above, one can visit the historic Tel Tzur site on the trail marked in yellow, which exits from the area of the brook.
From the aqueduct, the trail goes up the stairs beyond the dovecote (Station #7).
The trail turns left and passes next to Beit Khouri (Station #9). A visit to the site is recommended.
In front of Beit Khouri, the trail turns left and enters a sparse pine grove (with an understory of mastic trees . It passes a Tabor oak , runs into a dirt road, and turns left onto it. After some 20 metres, the trail turns right up the slope and then traverses several ancient quarries (Station #10)
9. Beit Khouri
This structure is the remnant of a large farmhouse built by the El-Khouri family around 1880. It was constructed, room by room, around an internal courtyard. Most of the building stones were taken from the ancient farmhouse at Horvat ‘Aqav. Though the El-Khouris themselves were Christian, they built a mosque for their Moslem tenants, the large hall that stands out at the south side of the manor house.
In 1913, the Jewish Colonisation Association (ICA) purchased the El-Khouri farm on behalf of Baron Edmond de Rothschild. Today the farmhouse and lands surrounding it are part of the grounds of Ramat Hanadiv.
From 1919-23, three groups of Jewish pioneers settled here. Due to the difficult conditions, however, their settlement experiments did not succeed.
Remains found at the manor house document the lives of the pioneers: the floor (cast in 1920) of the mosque hall, which served them as a dining room, and the charred brick oven which can still be seen in the kitchen.
 Nature Park Map | The spring trail |
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The Fragrance Garden, established in 1985, is the youngest of the Memorial Gardens. Seeking a way to enable people with limited or no eyesight to enjoy the flowers, Mme. Dorothy de Rothschild initiated the Fragrance Garden
The term ‘ecological footprint’ is taking shape in the western part of the Visitors Pavilion. A large gardening plot shaped like a foot lies in the middle of the area, with the heel pointing north, and the five toes, as one unit – to the south.
To complete your Ramat Hanadiv experience, you are cordially invited to enjoy the culinary pleasures of Mata’im, the cafe-restaurant on our premises.
The term ‘ecological footprint’ is taking shape in the western part of the Visitors Pavilion. A large gardening plot shaped like a foot lies in the middle of the area, with the heel pointing north, and the five toes, as one unit – to the south.
Within the foot and outside of it is a colorful mixture of vegetation that attracts butterflies: nectar in the flowers, and leaves as a place for laying eggs and as food for the larvae (caterpillars). Besides the enjoyment and beauty provided by the butterflies, they are used as a biological indicator that reflects changes occurring within ecosystems.
Fringed rue, for example, is a medicinal plant with a controversial fragrance among humans; however for the Old World swallowtail it is a safe refuge for rearing its larvae. It turns out that most of the plants in the crucifer family are used as hosts for the Large white, while during a shortage, leaves of the garden nasturtium will suffice. But don’t worry, the larvae won’t start nibbling leaves in the nearby shrubbery. Even scutch grass, considered by most to be a ‘weed’, is the preferred host for one butterfly: the female Large wall brown lays her eggs on it.
The Footprint Garden also includes plants that attract birds, such as: Buddleia (butterfly bush), Hibiscus and Lantana, which breathe life into the garden.
The Footprint Garden strives to show visitors the importance of a range of organisms, both large and small, each one with its role in the overall web of life. Besides conservation of biodiversity, the garden conveys an important social message of integrating different people into the community. The garden is cared for by the green fingers of people with disabilities, who are part of the gardening staff at Ramat Hanadiv.
As a technological complement, the plumbing of the geothermic cooling system was dug beneath this garden, and the pipes may be seen through a window to the soil’s depths.
All of these carry an important message for the future:
Our actions today determine the ecological stamp we leave for future generations; it’s best that we leave colorful, carefree footprints of flowers and butterflies…
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