Safed - The town

Safed is built on a hilly site and there are many ups and downs in its topography. In recent decades new suburbs, widely spaced from one another, have sprung up round the old town center. Tourist facilities are mainly concentrated on Mount Canaan (960m/3,150ft), to the east of the town, where there are hotels, picnic areas and viewpoints. Although the central area of Safed has no buildings of outstanding quality it is a friendly and attractive town. The main shopping street (partly pedestrianised) is Jerusalem Street (Rehov Yerushalayim), with a number of pavement cafés. Just off the south end of the street is the artists' quarter, to the north of which is the old part of the town with its numerous synagogues.