Montfort
|
|
The Crusader castle of Montfort, 14km/8.5mi east of Nahariya, is the largest ruin in western Galilee.
The castle can be reached only on foot, by either of two routes. One runs from the Goren Natural Forest, near the kibbutz of Elon (on the road going east from Rosh Haniqra close to the Lebanese frontier) and comes in 3km/2mi to the castle (descent of 130m/427ft). The other starts from Mi'ilya, a village of Christian Arabs on the Nahariya-Safed road; 3km/2mi north of this on a motorable road is a parking-place, from which it is a half-hour walk on a stony path running down through a wood (descent 250m/820ft). The castle stands on a spur of rock above the deep cleft of the Wadi Quren.
History
The castle was built by Comte Joscelin de Courtenay in the 12th century to protect Acre. In 1187 it was destroyed by Saladin; then in 1220 Hermann von Salza, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, acquired the ruins with the idea of making the castle the Grand Master's residence.
The castle can be reached only on foot, by either of two routes. One runs from the Goren Natural Forest, near the kibbutz of Elon (on the road going east from Rosh Haniqra close to the Lebanese frontier) and comes in 3km/2mi to the castle (descent of 130m/427ft). The other starts from Mi'ilya, a village of Christian Arabs on the Nahariya-Safed road; 3km/2mi north of this on a motorable road is a parking-place, from which it is a half-hour walk on a stony path running down through a wood (descent 250m/820ft). The castle stands on a spur of rock above the deep cleft of the Wadi Quren.
History
The castle was built by Comte Joscelin de Courtenay in the 12th century to protect Acre. In 1187 it was destroyed by Saladin; then in 1220 Hermann von Salza, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, acquired the ruins with the idea of making the castle the Grand Master's residence.
Read More
Read Less
Read More
The hillside ruind of Montfort Castle.
Montfort Castle.
