It’s been a long time since we’ve vacationed in a Zimmer in Israel. Honestly, ever since we started flying aboard every month (Three years ago), we didn’t have much time left for vacations in Israel. My advanced pregnancy forced me to stop flying, but on the other hand it made me come back to traveling in our country, which is luckily stunning. This time, we decided to go to Moshav Amirim in Galilee for the weekend. I was debating where we should go, but as soon as I came across this Zimmer I felt it was exactly the place for a beautiful and relaxed weekend.
In short about our weekend in Amirim, Vacation in North Israel
- We stated in Or Bereshit zimmer – You can book it through Update: this apartment is no longer available on airbnb (search for other accommodations )
- We went during the last week of October, 2019
- We came by car
- Moshav Amirim is a vegetarian moshav
- There’s plenty to do around the moshav (Good for both those looking for a restful weekend and those interested in nature and trekking)
Amirim Moshav, a vegetarian moshav in northern Israel
Before I tell you about the Zimmer itself, I’ll start with moshav of Amirim. This is the first time I’ve ever been to it, but I’ve heard a lot about it (especially from my vegan friends) and now I understand why. It’s hard to believe, but Amirim was founded in 1958 from an ideology for a healthier, more environmental place (in my opinion the founders were pioneers in their approach). The entire moshav is based on vegetarianism and all crops are organic (because the community decided not to spray them with any chemicals).
The moshav has excellent vegetarian restaurants and a great selection of high quality Zimmers. Some of the Zimmer owners have other businesses, such as carpentry and glasswork workshops, spas and more.
We really enjoyed the moshav’s atmosphere and felt it was just the calm and peaceful vacation we had needed.
Where did we stay in Amirim? Or Bereshit Zimmer
The zimmer we went to is Or Bereshit, a stunning zimmer with a view of Galilee.
What I liked about it especially is that it’s got a heated private pool, year-round (About 29 degrees Celsius), so it was nice even late into October. Additionally, the zimmer itself is beautiful. The zimmer is made of wood, with a round jacuzzi inside and a twin bed, kitchen with appliances, small living room and a bathroom. The zimmer was exceptionally clean and with great attention to detail, in both design and refreshments. We had a bottle of wine, chocolates, fruit, milk in the fridge and a tea extract. There’s also an espresso machine, a small fridge and a microwave.
The zimmer had an extra room with two single beds (So it can easily accommodate families, as well). The owners, Shalom and Debbie, were very lovely. They recommended restaurants to us and Shalom even helped us repair an issue with our car on Saturday night.
The stay doesn’t include breakfast, but you can get an excellent one delivered to you for an extra 120 shekels per couple (Let Shalom know at what time you’d like to have it a day in advance).
Where to eat at the moshav Amirim?
Yishay’s place
A must visit restaurant for hummus and shakshuka lovers (directions) . The only downside to it is that it’s closed from Friday afternoon until Sunday. Otherwise, we’d go more than once!
It has got a green view and fresh air. The owner was very nice and made everything on the spot. We ordered shakshuka and hummus with sprouted legumes and an Israeli salad with falafel. Everything was delicious and filling, but that didn’t stop us from getting the chocolate souffle with coconut and cream cheese. It’s called “Heaven” and it’s true to its name. Chocolate lovers mustn’t miss this dessert.
El Galil restaurant
The El Galil restaurant is an Arabic vegan restaurant (directions) with a structured menu including spreads as a starter (Around eight of them, if I recall). Each one was better than the last (There were white beans, hummus, pepper spreads and more), alongside delicious buns. We didn’t want to fill up on the spreads but we couldn’t stop eating them.
Next, we were served a small root vegetable and lentils soup, then four different dishes were brought out tableside: Mujadara, Siniya, an eggplant and tomato dish and Maqluba with a vegetable salad. Everything was vegan and extremely delicious. Let’s say you mostly likely won’t be able to finish everything, it’s a very filling meal. After the meal we got tea and two small baklavas.
Helen’s café
Upon first arrival, we felt like having a coffee, and found Helen’s café (directions). The place belongs to a lovely woman, with some seating outside. There’s a food menu, but we mostly wanted coffee, though we were tempted to have some of the apple pie that she said had just come out of the oven. The pie was excellent, served with vanilla ice-cream. This is definitely a great place for coffee and cake.
What is there to do in Amirim Moshav?
There are many things to do in Amirim, we didn’t get to do many of the attractions, but we’ll surely try them out next time. You can take a carpentry or glass working class there (Debbie, our Zimmer owner, owns the workshop as well). You can get a spa treatment or book one at your zimmer. You can do pretty much any pampering activity you want at the moshav (Including manicures and pedicures).
In the summer and over the holidays, every Friday there are different concerts at the open amphitheater.
Attractions near Moshav Amirim
Amirim is in an excellent location. It’s near Tzfat, Rosh Pina, Carmiel, Ma’alot and many other settlements in the area. It’s close to different treks, such as Tzalmon, Parud and Amud rivers.
A great attraction nearby is the Hula nature reserve (directions). We were at the lake in the past and rented a bike there, using them to travel, which was really nice. It’s also possible to trek there or rent a vehicle for a short trip to the lake.
You can also visit Monfort fort and lake in Ma’alot.
Within 40 minutes you can even reach Acre or the Kineret on the other side.
In the summer you can visit Jordan and go Kayaking.
In short, there are always more attractions and things to do in the area.
Shirat Roim – House Of Cheese, Yeshuv Lotem
A 20-minute drive from Amirim is Lotem. In it can be found a cheeses dairy farm, where you can buy worldwide award-winning cheeses and on Friday there is also a brunch served there. On Fridays and Saturdays, you can simply arrive, while during midweek you have to make a reservation in advance. Beyond the cheeses there is also olive oil, various spreads, honey and jams for sale. A little tip: After buying cheeses and olive oil, we ordered a home-made cold cider and went out for a drink outside in the lovely view.
Lotem winery
Opposite the dairy farm is the Lotem winery, which is a perfect place for wine and food in front of a great view.
In the winery you can go on a tour or wine tastings, or you could just sit on the terrace and order excellent wine and food. Roman had an excellent dish of meat there. He also ordered a slice of butcher’s cut, which was successful and baked sweet potato and Greek salad. In my opinion, the sweet potato was really delicious. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to taste the wine but Roman ordered two glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon Solo (red wine) so he was probably pleased with it.
It is advisable to book in advance, but the balcony cannot be reserved. So, if you want to sit outside, we recommend getting there around opening hours (around 11 am) especially if you are a group of several people.
A stop on the way to Amirim – Dalit El Carmel
We drove to Amirim from Tel Aviv and decided to stop on the way at Dalit El Carmel. Up the road to the local council, there are several places selling Druze pita and other Arabic delicacies. We decided to stop at the first opportunity and It was excellent. We had Druze pita, stuffed vine leaves and grilled eggplant. If you have the time, it’s of course recommended to go onto Dalit El Carmel itself and travel the area a bit (There are many interesting shops there) and you can have some Knafeh there.
Shopping in the Galilee – Yarka area
On the way back from Amirim we decided to stop at Yarka, a Druze settlement in west Galilee (A half hour drive from Amirim), there’s a huge shopping center there for adults, as well as baby things. There’s also a large trampoline park and more attractions.
In conclusion, Moshav Amirim is an excellent spot for a calm vacation, especially the Zimmer we visited. Due to my advanced pregnancy, we came there to eat and rest, and not so much for the walking trails and attractions, but the moshav area is filled with things to do, and anyone can find the attractions befitting his style there.
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