As a city built on several mountains, with plenty of natural forests and great viewpoints, Jerusalem is blessed with some of the best parks in the country. From natural parks with wildlife and hikes to artificial gardens with beautiful flowers and a great atmosphere, you can find a multitude of great parks in the capital. Here, you will find the best parks in Jerusalem, that will offer you a peaceful experience in the magnificent holy city.
Most iconic parks in Jerusalem
Sacher garden
Of course, it is impossible to start a list of parks in Jerusalem without mentioning Sacher Garden, known as the “Jerusalem Central Park”. The garden, which began its journey during Israel’s War of Independence as an airstrip for light aircrafts in the days when Jerusalem was under siege, has undergone a significant facelift. Among other things, the huge park features unique amusement facilities, sports fields, and a unique ninja complex. Sacher Garden also offers a large variety of activities for the whole family, including an area where you can have barbecues and great running and walking tracks.
Liberty Bell Park
One of the largest gardens in Jerusalem, the Bell Garden was established in 1976 in celebration of the bicentennial celebrations of the United States, and its name was derived from a copy of the famous Liberty Bell of Philadelphia. The garden extends from Emek Refaim in the German colony neighborhood to Jabotinsky and Keren Hayesod streets in Talbiya.
It is located in front of the picturesque Yemin Moshe neighborhood and a few minutes walk from the city’s luxury hotels, including the Inbal Hotel, which overlooks the garden, the King David Hotel, and the Mamilla Mall. The park is an excellent place for a picnic and has many facilities for children and adults alike, including basketball courts, a skating rink, playgrounds, and a dragon statue, a very popular attraction among children.
Whol Rose Garden
Wohl Garden is a quiet and well-kept public garden that has been famously named as one of the 11 most beautiful rose gardens in the world. The garden is located right next to the Knesset, the Parliament of Israel. By visiting the place you can enjoy a heartwarming sight of more than 400 varieties of roses from different countries. In addition, in each seedling bed, you will find a sign with the name of the flower and additional information.
In addition to the wonderful roses, the park also contains extensive lawns, hills, statues, rocks, and even an artificial lake. During the day the place is ideal for a family picnic, and at night, it’s a perfect setting for a romantic outing, as it’s a very popular dating site for young couples.
Due to the location of the park, sometimes there will be demonstrations and various political events around here, but other than being an interesting cultural experience, they should not interfere with your visit to the wonderful park.
The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens
The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens are a great city getaway, featuring green vegetation with heart-warming and colorful blooms. This is a university botanical garden used for research, education, and training. It contains, among other things, a particularly rich collection of plants that are considered to be the largest in Israel and the Middle East in particular, with Over 6,000 species of plants from all over the globe.
Entrance fee:
Adults: 40 ILS
Kids: 35 ILS
Opening hours:
summertime
Sunday-Thursday: 9:00-19:00
Friday: 9:00-16:00
Saturday: 9:00-18:00
wintertime
Sunday-Thursday: 9:00-17:00
Friday: 9:00-15:00
Saturday: 9:00-17:00
Best underrated parks in Jerusalem
Independence Park
A great city park located in the heart of Jerusalem, between King George Street to the west, Agron Street to the south, Hillel Street to the north, and the old Mamilla cemetery to the east.
Spending time at the place is a perfect solution for those who are looking for some peace after a long trip in the busy city. In addition, many families from the area come to spend time with the children, have picnics, and play ball, so you will find here a great vibrant atmosphere, especially during weekends.
Deer Valley Park
The Deer Valley Park is the largest urban nature site in Israel, as the valley encompasses an area of 250 dunams in the heart of the city of Jerusalem. The park is most famous for its small herd of deer that lives here until today, with about 80 deer roaming free here. In addition, the park features a wide variety of mammals, birds, and poultry. The park has several hiking trails, starting with a short accessible trail and long trails with observation decks.
In the past, the park used to be a great natural site, which was home to many animals, who enjoyed this open area, which was connected to Nahal Refa’im, providing them with freedom without limits. In 1993, when road number 50 was paved in Jerusalem, the connection with the river was cut off and the deer were stuck in this area between the neighborhoods and the roads. Because of that, the herd started thinning out, and if that wasn’t enough, a plan for residential buildings was promoted instead, which could have made it entirely extinct.
This story had a happy ending, however, as many residents of Jerusalem fought against the construction plans, and recorded unprecedented achievements. The plans were canceled, the area was fenced and the deer were rescued.
Since then, a rich and impressive natural ecosystem has developed in the beautiful valley. Along with the herd which has since grown to about 80 deer, the undisturbed area became a habitat for a multitude of animals such as insects, reptiles, and birds, including rare and endangered species, as well as thriving natural vegetation and flower species that add to its beauty. During your visit to this beautiful park, you can enjoy this natural wonder and watch the deer up close as they skip, play, fight, and often watch the visitors from a distance.
Teddy Park
Another great park, located at the foot of the Old City walls and the Tower of David. Teddy Park is spread over 7 dunams and is completely wheelchair-accessible. You will find several different attractions here, such as a visitor center describing the construction of modern-day Jerusalem, a wishing well, a unique sundial, and various sculptures.
Teddy Park has 6 differently designed gates that all lead to the central point of the park – a stunning fountain, which combines water, music, and light shows. The fountain includes 256 water hoses and no less than 1,800 lighting fixtures, which combine to create wonderful water shows.
