News and Events
Israel’s heritage landscapes represent the combined creation of man and nature, and carry significance beyond their physical existence – as a source of inspiration and connection to the past. With the development of modern agriculture, construction and industry, many landscapes have changed and some have disappeared from view. Conserving these landscapes allows us to feel the past in the present landscape and connect to our landscape, nature, heritage and land.
UNESCO (1972) defined two types of heritage landscapes of universal importance: cultural heritage landscapes and natural heritage landscapes.
The region surrounding Ramat Hanadiv, including Hanadiv Valley, Har Horshan, and Alona Hills, is one of the most beautiful and interesting in Israel. This region is rich in natural, agricultural and landscape assets, which represent the agricultural and cultural heritage of the region during different periods (the cultural landscape of Hanadiv Valley), park forests in Alona Hills and dense Mediterranean woodland in Har Horshan Nature Reserve. Alongside the vineyards and orchards, the region is replete with springs, agricultural facilities and heritage sites from different periods. Due to the high quality and sensitivity of Hanadiv Valley region it was defined as a “landscape complex” in Outline Plan 35 and a “texture earmarked for conservation”, and a special plan has been prepared for it (Hanadiv Valley Surrounds).
In ancient times the livelihoods of the residents of Ramat Hanadiv were based on rain-fed agriculture (dryland farming) and livestock rearing. Characteristic rain-fed crops included olive groves, vineyards, orchards and field crops (cereals and legumes).
The region surrounding Ramat Hanadiv, including Hanadiv Valley, Har Horshan, and Alona Hills, is one of the most beautiful and interesting in Israel. This region is rich in natural, agricultural and landscape assets, which represent the agricultural and cultural heritage of the region during different periods
The nature of the crops, the plant varieties and the cultivation techniques were very different from modern agriculture. In contrast to modern agriculture, which is established in valleys and on plains, ancient agriculture was established in mountainous areas with pockets of soil and terraces that were built to hold the soil. These terraces supported combinations of olive groves, vineyards and other crops. These crops constituted local varieties adapted to the local environment, in contrast to the crop varieties in use today that are imported from different places around the world and improved genetically.
Reinstating the agricultural component of the Nature Park was done out of a desire to restore the diversity of land uses that characterised Ramat Hanadiv in the past, including olive groves, vineyards and wheat fields alongside natural and planted landscapes.
The cultivated plots are part of Ramat Hanadiv’s historical-cultural story; they now constitute an integral part of the landscape mosaic of the Park, and in addition to their landscape contribution they provide a habitat for wildlife and rare plants.
The cultivated plots are part of Ramat Hanadiv’s historical-cultural story; they now constitute an integral part of the landscape mosaic of the Park
Field Crops (wheat)
Until the beginning of the 20th century, different parts of Ramat Hanadiv were still used for field crops. These lands were gradually abandoned, until Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (Israel’s Forestry Authority) planted oak and pine groves on them in the late 1970s. These groves were not cared for properly, and with time they deteriorated; at the beginning of their third decade they were reconverted to farmlands, mainly for wheat and olives, and were cultivated using traditional methods (no pesticides or mechanical equipment).
With time it turned out that these fields constituted a habitat that had maintained rare plants, which had disappeared from the country’s landscapes along with the disappearance of traditional agriculture. Since then, these lands have been used as farmlands in which we grow various cereals, using shallow tillage and no pesticides.
In this way we are conserving both the agricultural landscape and the native plant species they support, including some of the rarest (Salvia eigii) and most spectacular (Allium schubertii – Persian onion) in Israel. The cereals grown in these fields provide food for Ramat Hanadiv’s sheep and goat herd.
The sheep and goat herds have always been part of the cultural landscape of the region, and since 2004 a herd of sheep and goats grazes in the Nature Park at Ramat Hanadiv. Visitors who encounter it can feel, see and smell a part of the ancient landscape.
Olive Terraces
The staff of Ramat Hanadiv’s Nature Park care for the ancient olive terraces and trees on site, and have planted additional olive groves. These groves were also planned and established to maintain the landscapes that were present in the past and do not follow the principles of modern agriculture. At Ramat Hanadiv we have also planted olive groves that are used as a genetic collection and provide a basis for conservation and research of ancient olive varieties. The olive collection allows us to elucidate the traits of the olive trees that were grown here in the past.
Vineyards
Vineyards have not been planted at Ramat Hanadiv, apart from a few vines that were planted in the two main archaeological sites (Ein Zur and Horvat Aqav) in order to connect visitors to the ancient landscapes.
Fruit Orchards
In the 1980s an orchard was planted east of Ein Zur. This location was not random; we know that many people lived around this spring in the past. In recent years this orchard was restored and improved; we planted different trees belonging to cultural varieties, in other words, trees originating in various orchards that existed in our region for many years.
Rearing animals (mainly sheep and goats) was part of the lifestyle in our region in the near and distant past. The sheep and goats would go out to grazing in lands that were not deemed suitable for cultivation; they were a source of milk, meat, wool and leather. The sheep and goat herds have always been part of the cultural landscape of the region, and since 2004 a herd of sheep and goats grazes in the Nature Park at Ramat Hanadiv to prevent fires and to preserve the diversity of habitats in the Park. Visitors who encounter it can feel, see and smell a part of the ancient landscape.
Any question? We will be glad to help
Many trails traverse the Memorial Gardens. We recommend this route, but you can choose to walk another route
Many studies have demonstrated the link between a green environment, nature or flowering gardens and feelings of calmness and serenity, enjoyment and vitality
To complete your Ramat Hanadiv experience, you are cordially invited to enjoy the culinary pleasures of Mata’im, the cafe-restaurant on our premises.
