Best known by its name from the Crusades era: St Jean d’Acre or St. John d’Acre, Akko or Accre is located 120km north of Tel Aviv. The journey will take you about 1, 5 hour by car.

Being one of the oldest inhabited city in the world, it would be too daunting (and too long) to give you an overview of its intricate history.

Old Akko is an Arab town that has kept the remnants of the crusader era. That’s the interesting part to visit.The new city is totally uninteresting.

There is an amazing (but expensive) boutique called the Efendi  that will take you back to the Ottoman times. It is comprised of two houses and it’s the only “stylish” hotel in the city. The others are kind of old fashioned I would say or depressingly new.

As for the Efendi, the owner, Uri Jeremias, is the same as for the Uri Buri restaurant on the Port where he is also Chef. Uri Buri is a real culinary institution, its fame reaching far beyond Akko. If you don’t spend the night in Akko, go and have a lunch at Uri Buri. You won’t regret it. Don’t forget to book well ahead!

A few hours are enough to have an overview of the old city: it’s quite small.

The old city being Muslim, the dress codes are different than in Tel Aviv. Wear “modest clothing”.

Cathy

Business coach and professional flâneur

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Cathy Becq - Editor