1030 kilometers. This is the length of the largest hiking trail in israel. That is why It is called the Israel National Trail (שְׁבִיל יִשְׂרָאֵל, Shvil Israel).
About Shvil Israel - שְׁבִיל יִשְׂרָאֵל
As you already might have guessed , this trail crosses the entire country from north (Tzafon - צָפוֹן) to south (Darom - דָרוֹם), and would take as much as 2 months to complete, but the scenery is spectacular (Madhim - מָדְהִים)!
The trail was established in 1995, after 16 years of construction, and is marked with three stripes (Pasim - פָּסִים) – white blue and orange.
When & How - מָתַי ואֵיך - Matai ve'eich
Israel is known for its desert (Midbar - מִדבָּר) in the south and the mountains (Harim - הָרִים) in the north, so in order to enjoy both at their prime seasons, and not suffer extreme weather, spring (Aviv - אָבִיב) and autumn (Stav - סתָיו) are the best seasons for the trail.
Note that the trail is not an easy one. The path is divided into 44 segments, and some people prefer to cover each section in one day of walking.
Cycling The Trail
If you prefer bicycle (Ofanaim - אוֹפָנַיִים), maybe the Israel National Bike Trail will suit you best. This trail is similar to the walking trail. However a little bit longer ( 1200 kilometers) and contains only 27 segments.
Who Are The "Trail Angels - מָלְאַכֵי הַשְׁבִיל"
"Trail Angels" (Mal'achey ha'shvil - מָלְאַכֵי הַשְׁבִיל) is a very special, and beautiful phenomenon. The “Angels” are people, who usually live near the trail segments. These people offer help for the trail walkers , in various ways :
assistance in finding water, hosting at their homes, offering free showers, food, or just host a company.
National Geographic
In 2012 , National Geographic chose the israel national trail as one of the 20 best hiking trails in the world !
It was described as a trail that combines nature (Teva - טֵבָע), heritage (Moreshet - מוֹרֶשֶׁת), culture (Tarbut - תָרבּוּת) and history (Historiya - הִיסטוֹרִיָה), with biblical and modern landscapes.
Want To Know More?
MichaVD - YouTube:
"I walked the Israel National Trail on my own. The beautiful trail from Eilat to Mt. Hermon, a trail of almost 1100km. Desert, mountains, hills, forests, valleys. The trail takes you to a lot of places where you wouldn't be able to come without hiking."