Visit Tel Aviv
April 11th 2011 11:23
Right from the word ‘go’ there were cafes in Tel Aviv. And while the city
began to take shape – broad boulevards, villas, gardens – coffee shops
cropped up on rooftops or in the shade of swooping branches. Sheinkin Street is the haunt for the smart set. At No. 57, Café Tamar, patrons sit pondering poetry; at 41, Tika Love Café is a trendy spot, with a rousing Israeli breakfast – try eggs with tahini (sesame dip), peppers and coffee for £7.
Head for Tel Aviv’s White City, where you’ll find the streets (Rothschild
Blvd, Nahalat Binyamin St and Ahad Ha’Am St) are a maze of cool
cubic facades, curved balconies and glass-tiled stairways –
characteristic of the experimental Bauhaus.
The German inter-war art and design school favoured sombre, brutal functionality, yet in Israel the look and feel is bright and summery, perfect for an afternoon wander. Book a tour through the Bauhaus Centre Bauhaus Centre.
In peaceful Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv’s oldest neighbourhood, there’s more
mooching in store. Pop into Rokach House (36 Simon Rokach St) – one of the city’s original houses, it’s now owned by its founder’s granddaughter and used as her art studio. The main thoroughfare is Shabazi Street; a cool glass of wine awaits in the window at No. 47, Jajo Vino; .
The old port of Jaffa, now an artists’ colony, is more mesmerising if you
discard your map. Explore lanes, squeezing past strangers and looping back on yourself when you get lost. Little doorways might lead to a cave full of pottery or a lady who moulds plasticine. Don’t miss the flea market – in the middle (east of the clock tower) is a little bar serving up fizz and live jazz. Look for the yellow awning and scattered barrels.
From Tel Aviv you can do Jerusalem in a day, but it’s better to factor in a
one-night stopover if you can – it’s a breathless experience and a
remarkable place to behold. One of the greatest views is from the
roof of the Austrian Hospice, within the city walls. Locate the Austrian
flag on Via Dolorosa 37, walk straight through the double doors and climb the stairs to the very top. Wow!
The Design Museum in Holon Design Museum is a vision, 20 minutes beyond Tel Aviv. Ron Arad’s building is as much sculpture as architecture, an intricate vortex of red-orange steel strips.
Make your way through the evenly lit gallery spaces, which showcase
innovation in design. At the end, a video documents the creation of the
building, which involved a tiny man (4ft), employed to run round within the
ribbons, fitting them together.
And finally, the beach: the Tayelet promenade is great for strolls and cycles. Lovely beaches stretch along the 20km shoreline. If you don’t mind single-sex bathing, the religious beach Nordau is quiet (Tues, Thurs and Sun for women; closed Sat).
began to take shape – broad boulevards, villas, gardens – coffee shops
cropped up on rooftops or in the shade of swooping branches. Sheinkin Street is the haunt for the smart set. At No. 57, Café Tamar, patrons sit pondering poetry; at 41, Tika Love Café is a trendy spot, with a rousing Israeli breakfast – try eggs with tahini (sesame dip), peppers and coffee for £7.
Head for Tel Aviv’s White City, where you’ll find the streets (Rothschild
Blvd, Nahalat Binyamin St and Ahad Ha’Am St) are a maze of cool
cubic facades, curved balconies and glass-tiled stairways –
characteristic of the experimental Bauhaus.
The German inter-war art and design school favoured sombre, brutal functionality, yet in Israel the look and feel is bright and summery, perfect for an afternoon wander. Book a tour through the Bauhaus Centre Bauhaus Centre.
In peaceful Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv’s oldest neighbourhood, there’s more
mooching in store. Pop into Rokach House (36 Simon Rokach St) – one of the city’s original houses, it’s now owned by its founder’s granddaughter and used as her art studio. The main thoroughfare is Shabazi Street; a cool glass of wine awaits in the window at No. 47, Jajo Vino; .
The old port of Jaffa, now an artists’ colony, is more mesmerising if you
discard your map. Explore lanes, squeezing past strangers and looping back on yourself when you get lost. Little doorways might lead to a cave full of pottery or a lady who moulds plasticine. Don’t miss the flea market – in the middle (east of the clock tower) is a little bar serving up fizz and live jazz. Look for the yellow awning and scattered barrels.
From Tel Aviv you can do Jerusalem in a day, but it’s better to factor in a
one-night stopover if you can – it’s a breathless experience and a
remarkable place to behold. One of the greatest views is from the
roof of the Austrian Hospice, within the city walls. Locate the Austrian
flag on Via Dolorosa 37, walk straight through the double doors and climb the stairs to the very top. Wow!
The Design Museum in Holon Design Museum is a vision, 20 minutes beyond Tel Aviv. Ron Arad’s building is as much sculpture as architecture, an intricate vortex of red-orange steel strips.
Make your way through the evenly lit gallery spaces, which showcase
innovation in design. At the end, a video documents the creation of the
building, which involved a tiny man (4ft), employed to run round within the
ribbons, fitting them together.
And finally, the beach: the Tayelet promenade is great for strolls and cycles. Lovely beaches stretch along the 20km shoreline. If you don’t mind single-sex bathing, the religious beach Nordau is quiet (Tues, Thurs and Sun for women; closed Sat).
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