Beit Ha'omanim

Let's be honest for a moment - Safed is probably not the first name that comes to your mind in the context of vacation. The city actually has a history in this area, but it was in the days when the B&B was called 'Beit Bara' and the guests were called Yitzhak and Geula - my grandparents. If you are now nodding in agreement - it is time to take out hats and eat them. I had already eaten mine as soon as the gate opened to the beautiful boutique hotel 'Beit Ha'Amani'.

Already on the way, I understand that I need to update the lexicon regarding this rare city: I get lost in ancient stone alleys as wide as my shoulders, asking myself, how 'Wise' took me to ancient Jerusalem instead of Safed... Every moment I am surprised by another small gallery with an artist who himself looks like one of the works, every two moments another historic house is revealed, another narrow and secret staircase, you know where it leads (my guess - to the 19th century...).

"What is this crazy place and how come I didn't know about it?!?!?" I ask my father who opened his boutique hotel here. "Welcome to the artists' quarter," he replies, showing me another picturesque cafe hidden in the tangle of alleys. He opens a blue iron gate in a stone wall, and I find myself in a picturesque and intimate patio, thanking God that there are no flies here to enter my gaping mouth. Surrounding me are picturesque stone houses in shades of white and light blue (who said Greece and didn't get it?) and blue stairs climb to the depths of the compound.

"It was the studio of the sculptor Halwani," explains Avi, adding that each of the suites bears the name of a great artist who worked in the neighborhood. As someone who was already thrown out of art classes when they asked to draw a chair, I admit that I have no idea about art, but you don't need to understand much to know that there is a special aesthetic experience here.

The 5 suites differ in size and shape - in one a huge space and in the other romantic intimacy and a vaulted ceiling. In the third the view speaks and in the fourth the privacy, but they all share a careful design that pays respect to the ancient nature of the building. True, natural lighting does not always reach every corner due to the nature of the alleys, but these shadows create the special atmosphere here.

"When we renovated, we discovered behind one of the walls a secret space that had been closed for years, and was previously used as an ancient stone tomb" Indiana Jones tells me, sorry - my father. Today the space is used as a beautiful authentic bathroom...

"How many times have you heard the word 'wow' from guests?" I ask him, and instead of answering he leads me up the stairs to a super elaborate outdoor complex with a heated pool, spa jacuzzi, open kitchen and full of seating areas facing the view of the old city and Mount Miron. Add another 'wow' to the list... In the entrance space to the complex you will find a dry sauna and a treatment room located in a space discovered by chance, during the excavations of the ancient building.

Before finishing, some details about the environment:
A variety of picturesque galleries and cafes are hidden in the stone alleys around the hotel, but they are closed on Saturdays. To enjoy them, it is recommended to arrive before Shabbat. There are plenty of restaurants in Rosh Pina (10 minutes drive) that provide an excellent solution for meals. For lovers of mysticism and Judaism - the ancient synagogues of Safed are a short walk away.

On the way out I remember again my grandmother who used to come to the 'Kanaan' convalescent home in Safed in the old days. I have a feeling that she would have come out of the 'house of artists' much healthier...